Date of Submission

Spring 2023

Academic Program

Division of Languages and Literature; Division of Social Studies

Project Advisor 1

Oleg Minin

Project Advisor 2

Sean McMeekin

Abstract/Artist's Statement

This project explores ballet’s development as a Soviet art form through the critical reviews of three early Soviet ballets: The Golden Age (Zolotoy vek, 1930), The Bolt (Bolt, 1931), and Flames of Paris (Plamya parizha, 1932). Prior to the implementation of Socialist Realism, which set parameters for all cultural production within the Soviet Union from 1934 onward, definitions of Soviet culture were often unclear. As a result, it was often difficult for ballet makers to know what to produce and given the art form’s deep aristocratic roots, pressure to innovate in order to fit into the Soviet cultural project was multiplied tenfold. Through a close analysis of critical reviews, advertisements, and personal testimonies, such as letters and memoirs, this project explores how ballet, despite its aristocratic past, became a successful Soviet art form.

Open Access Agreement

Open Access

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
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