1. This research was funded in part by a Faculty Summer Research Grant (1989) and a Faculty Mini-Grant (1990) from the University of Oregon Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The author acknowledges Irina Nijinska Raetz and Vladimir Dokoudovsky, two former dancers with the Polish Ballet; their insistence on the monumental importance of Nijinska's choreographies for Polish Ballet encouraged this research. Polish, German, and French translations by Wlodek Rybarkiewicz. Additional French translations by Marian Smith.

2. Personal communication on February 1, 1990 with Ewa Makomaska of the Teatr Wielki W Warsawie Muzeum Teatralne, Warsaw. Surviving remnants of the Polish Ballet collection in Warsaw are limited to a collection of amateur photographs, one souvenir program, and the costume designs for La Légende de Cracovie.

3. Kisselgoff, Anna, “Nijinska, in Her Time, Was a Ballet Avant-Gardist,” New York Times, May 11, 1986, p. 9Google Scholar.

4. Nijinska, Bronislava, “On Movement and the School of Movement,” in Van Norman Baer, Nancy, Bronislava Nijinska: A Dancer's Legacy (San Francisco: The Fine Art Museum of San Francisco, 1986), p. 86Google Scholar.

5. Nijinska, Bronislava, “On Movement and the School of Movement,” in Preston-Dunlop, Valerie and Lahusen, Susanne, Schrifttanz: A View of German Dance in the Weimar Republic (London: Dance Books, 1990), p. 56Google Scholar.

6. Kandinsky, Wassily, “On the Artist,” 1916, in Duval, Jean-Luc, Avant-Garde Art, 1914–1939 (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 1980), p. 31Google Scholar.

7. Nijinska, Bronislava, “On Movement and the School of Movement,” in Baer, Van Norman, p. 85Google Scholar.

8. Martin, John, “The Dance: Abstraction,” New York Times, December 11, 1938, Section 10, p. 10Google Scholar.

9. Acocella, Joan Ross, “Nijinska… The Survivor's Story,” Dance Magazine, April, 1986, p. 58Google Scholar.

10. Nijinska, Bronislava (Lopokova, Lydia, trans.), “Reflections About the Productions of Les Biches and Hamlet in Markova-Dolin Ballets,” The Dancing Times, February, 1937, p. 618Google Scholar.

11. Ibid.

12. Nijinska, Bronislava, “On Movement and the School of Movement,” in Baer, Van Norman, p. 86Google Scholar.

13. Rickey, George, Constructivism: Origins and Evolution. (New York: George Braziller, 1967), p. 38Google Scholar.

14. References to the commitment of the Constructivist movement to what was perceived as the simplified art forms of peasant or “every day life” can be found in Gresty, Hilary and Lewison, Geremy, Constructivism in Poland 1923–1936: BLOK Praesens a.r. (Stuttgart, Dr. Gantz'sche Druckerei, 1973)Google Scholar and Duval, Jean-Luc, Avant-Garde Art, 1914–1939 (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 1980)Google Scholar.

15. Interviews with Irina Nijinska Raetz, Vladimir Dokoudovsky and Nina Youchkevitch have yielded information which corroborates this conclusion.

16. Nijinska, Bronislava (Lopokova, Lydia, trans.), “Reflections About the Productions of Les Biches and Hamlet in Markova-Dolin Ballets,” The Dancing Times, February, 1937, p. 617Google Scholar.

17. Szyfman, Arnold, Powstanie Baletu Polskiego w 1937 roku, in Wojcikowski, Leon, ed. Jaroslaw Twaszkiewicz, Irina Turska, and Arnold Szyfman (Warsaw: Opera Warszawa, 1958), p. 50Google Scholar.

18. Szyfman, p. 52

19. Ibid.

20. Anderson, Jack, “The Fabulous Career of Bronislava Nijinska,” Dance Magazine, August, 1963, p. 40Google Scholar.

21. Bronislava was the third child of Polish dancers Eleanora and Foma Nijinsky, who maintained a somewhat nomadic lifestyle following a circuit of guest appearances throughout Poland and Russia.

22. Program of the Polish Ballet, Nijinska Archives.

23. Text from the public relations material applauds Nijinska and Lechón for “[giving] all their help so that the glory of their national art should spread far beyond [Poland's] frontiers.”

24. Jedrzejewicz, Waclaw, Diplomat in Berlin, 1933–1939 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1968), p. xviGoogle Scholar. Jozef Lipski, Polish ambassador in Berlin, was responsible for sponsoring the Polish Ballet's tour of Germany during 1938.

25. Daval, Jean-Luc, Avant-Garde Art 1914–1939. (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1980), p. 189Google Scholar.

26. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with author, August and December, 1989. According to Irina Nijinska Raetz, Bronislava seemed particularly interested in the opportunity to draw upon her Polish heritage in her work for the Polish Ballet. In addition to her already deep knowledge of European character dance, she took special care to research Polish folk dance and customs. She applied this knowledge in three of the 1937 ballets, Le Chant de la Terre, La Légende de Cracovie, and Le Rappel.

27. Szyfman, p. 53.

28. Ibid, p. 55.

29. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with author, August and December, 1989.

30. Nijinska's son, Leon, was killed and Irina was seriously injured in the accident.

31. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with author, August and December, 1989; Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interviews with author, July and August, 1989.

32. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interview with author, July, 1989.

33. Szyfman, p. 56.

34. Programs from the German cities and the poster advertising the Berlin performance state that the Polish Ballet was “Unter der Schirmherrschaft des Polnischen Botschafters Jozef Lipski und des Reichministers fur Volksaufklarung und Propaganda Dr. Joseph Goebbels.”

35. Welch, David, Nazi Propaganda: the Power and the Limitations. (New Jersey: Barnes and Noble, 1983), p. 6Google Scholar.

36. Wolf, Paul, “Das Polnische Ballett Stürmisch Gefeiert,” Berliner Bürsen Zeitung (Berlin), January 28, 1938Google Scholar; Böhme, Fritz, “Das Gastspiel des Polnischen Balletts,” Der Angriff (Berlin), January 28, 1938Google Scholar. (These articles were found in the Nijinska Archives. Articles found in this archive will hereafter be referred to as “clippings—N.A.”)

37. Die Tagebucher von Joseph Goebbels, Fragmente, Samtliche, Band 3—January 1, 1937 to December 31, 1939 (Munich: K.G. Saur, 1987), p. 418Google Scholar.

38. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

39. Observed by both the author and Irina Nijinska Raetz during study of the Polish Ballet material in the Nijinska Archives.

40. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

41. According to Irina Nijinska Raetz, Bronislava's husband, Nicholas Singaevsky, acted as her manager during the Polish Ballet tour. This author speculates that Nijinska's husband brought the pictures and newspaper clippings with the family on their summer vacation for the purpose of organizing them, using the scrapbooks in which they can now be found.

42. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

43. Three of Nijinska's 1937 choreographies were in the company's repertory for the New York tour: Le Chant de la Terre, La Légende de Cracovie, and Chopin Concerto. Youchkevitch recalls that these ballets were rehearsed by Woizikowski “without him giving his imprint to them at all.”

44. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with the author, May, 1992.

45. Personal communication on February 1, 1990 with Ewa Makomaska of the Teatr Wielki W Warsawie Muzeum Teatralne, Warsaw.

46. Martin, John, “Program at Fair by the Polish Ballet,” New York Times, June 11, 1939Google Scholar. This objection was also expressed by Vuillermoz, Emile, in “The Polish Ballet at Paris,” The Christian Science Monitor, December 28, 1937Google Scholar. (These clippings were located in the clippings files of the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library, hereafter referred to as NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava.)

47. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

48. Szyfman, p. 60. Also Cieplinski, Jan, A History of the Polish Ballet. 1518–1945. Edited and translated from the Polish by Lesiecka, Anna Ema, (London: Veritas Foundation, 1983), p. 72Google Scholar.

49. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

50. Program of the Polish Ballet Season 1937-1938, Nijinska Archives.

51. Van Norman Baer, p. 66.

52. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

53. Haskell, Arnold L., “The Eternal Apollo: Polish Ballet at Covent Garden,” The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post (London), December, 1937Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava.)

54. Szyfman, p. 56. However, Irina Nijinska recalls her mother searching for scores in the summer months before rehearsals began.

55. Unidentified review, ’Polish Ballet Deserves Better Treatment from London,” Evening London News, December 8, 1937Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava.)

56. Scheuer, L. Franc, “The Polish Ballet in Paris,” The Dancing Times, January, 1938, p. 521Google Scholar.

57. Martin, John, “The Dance: At the Fair,” New York Times, June 18, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

58. Boschot, Adolphe, “Les Ballets Polonais: Plaidoyer pur un concerto Chopin a vingt ans,” L'Echo de Paris, November 22, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

59. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with author, May, 1992.

60. Van Norman Baer, p. 66.

61. Nijinska, Bronislava, Early Memoirs, trans, and ed. Nijinska, Irina and Rawlinson, Jean (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981), p. 251Google Scholar.

62. Haskell, Arnold L., “Polish Ballet in London: Promising Debut by Young Company,” The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

63. Ibid.

64. , P.B., “Faust's Dance to Salvation: Polish State Ballet at Covent Garden,” Star London, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

65. , J. H. M., “Polish Ballet,” Manchester Guardian, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

66. Boschot, Adolphe, “Les Ballets Polonais: Plaidoyer pur un concerto Chopin a vingt ans,” L'Echo de Paris, November 22, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

67. Gavoty, Bernard, Frederic Chopin (New York: Charles Scribner and Sons, 1977), p. 84Google Scholar.

68. Atwood, William, Fryderyk Chopin: Pianist from Warsaw (New York: Columbia University Press, 1987), p. 35–36Google Scholar.

69. Anderson, Jack, “The Fabulous Career of Bronislava Nijinska,” Dance Magazine, August, 1963, p. 45Google Scholar.

70. Denby, Edwin, Looking at the Dance (New York: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1949), p. 70Google Scholar.

71. Kolodin, Irving, “Polish Ballet at the Fair,” New York Sun, June 7, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

72. Berard, Carol, “Les Ballets Polonais,” L' Époque, November 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

73. Martin, John, World Book of Modern Ballet. (New York, World Publishing Company, 1952), p. 19Google Scholar.

74. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with the author, May, 1992.

75. Michaut, Pierre, “Spectacles de Danses: Le Ballet Polonais de Mme Nijinska,” L'Opinion, December 1, 1937, p. 15Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

76. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with the author, May, 1992.

77. , P.B., “Polish State Ballet at Covent Garden,” Star London, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

78. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with the author, May, 1992.

79. Acocella, Joan Ross, “Nijinska … The Survivor's Story,” Dance Magazine, April, 1986, p. 56Google Scholar.

80. Denby, Edwin, Looking at the Dance (New York: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1949), p. 69Google Scholar.

81. Garafola, Lynn, “Bronislava Nijinska: A Legacy Uncovered,” Women in Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, vol. 3, no. 2, 1987/1988, p. 78CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

82. Nina Youchkevitch, interview with the author, May, 1992.

83. Denby, Edwin, Looking at the Dance (New York: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1949), p. 69Google Scholar.

84. Vuillermoz, Emile, “The Polish Ballet at Paris,” The Christian Science Monitor (Boston), December 28, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

85. Michaut, Pierre, “Spectacles de Danses,” L'Opinion, p. 16Google Scholar. (Clippins—N.A.)

86. Martin, John, “Visitors at Fair See Polish Ballet,” New York Times, June 7, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

87. Martin, John, “The Dance,” New York Times, April 13, 1944Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

88. , P.B., “Polish State Ballet at Covent Garden,” Star London, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

89. Haskell, Arnold L., “Polish Ballet in London: Promising Debut by Young Company,” The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, (London), December, 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

90. Martin, John, “Visitors at Fair See Polish Ballet,” New York Times, June 7, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

91. Scheuer, L. Franc, “The Polish Ballet in Paris,” The Dancing Times, January, 1938, p. 522Google Scholar.

92. , P.B., “Polish State Ballet at Covent Garden,” Star London, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

93. Kolodin, Irving, “Nijinska Ballet Danced at Fair,” New York Sun, June 14, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

94. Unidentified review, “Covent Garden Season,” Malta Daily Chronicle (London), December, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

95. Mitchell, Percy, “Polish Ballets,” The Daily Mail (Paris), November 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

96. Martin, John, “The Dance: At the Fair,” New York Times, June 18, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

97. Kolodin, Irving, “Nijinska Ballet Danced at Fair,” New York Sun, June 14, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

98. Martin, John, “Ballet Presents ‘Song of Our Land’,” New York Times, June 15, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

99. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interview with the author, July and August, 1989.

100. , P.B., “Polish State Ballet at Covent Garden,” Star London, December 17, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N.A.)

101. Program, Balet Polski, (Warsaw, 1938)Google Scholar, Nijinska Archives.

102. Interviews with the author: Irina Nijinska Raetz, August and December, 1989; Vladimir Dokoudovsky, July and August, 1989; Nina Juszkiewicz, July, 1989.

103. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interview with the author, July and August, 1989.

104. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with the author, August and December, 1989.

105. Nijinska, Bronislava, “Reflections about the Productions of Les Biches and Hamlet in Markova-Dolin Ballets,” translated by Lopokova, Lydia, The Dancing Times, February, 1937, p. 619Google Scholar.

106. In the Polish version of the legend, Faust is known by the name Pan Twardowski.

107. Martin, John, “Program at Fair by Polish Ballet,” New York Times, June 9, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

108. Scheuer, L. Franc, “The Polish Ballet in Paris,” The Dancing Times, January, 1938, p. 522Google Scholar.

109. Garafola, Lynn, “Bronislava Nijinska: A Legacy Uncovered,” Women in Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, Vol. 3, no. 2, 1987–1988, p. 80CrossRefGoogle Scholar. Nijinska had previously shown an awareness of constructivist forms in her geometric groupings in Les Noces.

110. In a 1963 interview, Nijinska was quoted as saying, “Architecture—that is always the sign of a Nijinska ballet …. (However) My ballets are not static. They are not statuary. My ballets have architecture, yes—but there is always movement.” (In Anderson, Jack, The Fabulous Career of Bronislava Nijinska, Dance Magazine, August, 1963, p. 45Google Scholar).

111. Van Norman Baer, p. 19.

112. , H.H., “The Polish Ballet,” The Observer (London), December 19, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

113. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interview with author, July and August, 1989.

114. Wolf, Paul, “Das Polnische Ballett Stürmisch Gefeiert,” Berliner Bürsen Zeitung, January 28, 1938Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

115. Irina Nijinska Raetz, interviews with author, August and December, 1989.

116. Michaut, Pierre, “Spectacles de Danses: Le Ballet Polonias de Mme Nijinska,” L'Opinion, December 1, 1937, p. 14Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

117. Unidentified review, “Interesting Polish Ballet: Promise That May Achieve Distinction,” Birmingham Post, December 18, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

118. Scheuer, L. Franc, “The Polish Ballet in Paris,” The Dancing Times, January, 1938, p. 522Google Scholar.

119. Martin, John, “Program at Fair by Polish Ballet,” New York Times, June 9, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

120. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, editied by Sadie, Stanley, (London: MacMillan Publishers, Ltd., 1980). Vol. 10, p. 171Google Scholar.

121. Mitchell, Percy, “The Polish Ballet,” The Daily Mail (Paris), November 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

122. Program, Balet Polski, (Warsaw, 1938)Google Scholar, Nijinska Archives.

123. Michaut, Pierre, “Spectacles de Danses: Le Ballet Polonias de Mme Nijinska,” L'Opinion, December 1, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

124. Program, Balet Polski, (Warsaw, 1938)Google Scholar, Nijinska Archives.

125. Haskell, Arnold L., “The Eternal Apollo: Polish Ballet at Covent Garden,” The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post (London), December 18, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

126. , H.H., “The Polish Ballet,” The Observer (London), December 19, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

127. This description is based on an interview with Dokoudovsky, Vladimir and program notes from Balet Polski, (Warsaw, 1938)Google Scholar.

128. Unidentified review, “Covent Garden: The Polish Ballet,” The London Times, December 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

129. Haskell, Arnold L., “A Polish Ballet of Great Interest: Nijinska's Recall,” The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post (London), December 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

130. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interview with the author, July and August, 1989.

131. Based on photographs in the Nijinska Archives.

132. McN., W., “New Ballet: Polish Dancers in ‘The Recall’ at Covent Garden,”, Evening London News, December 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

133. Unidentified review, “Covent Garden: The Polish Ballet,” The London Times, December 21, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

134. Acocella, Joan Ross, “Nijinska … The Survivor's Story,” Dance Magazine, April, 1986, p. 54Google Scholar. Often Nijinska's association with the Polish Ballet is not mentioned in scholarly works; see Haskell's, ArnoldBallet—To Poland, (New York: MacMillan Company, 1940)Google Scholar or History of Dance in Art and Education, by Kraus, Richard, Hilsendager, Sarah Chapman and Dixon, Brenda (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991)Google Scholar. Other examples, not exhaustive, where this prolific year of Nijinska's life has been minimized can be found in George, Rosaline, “The Rite Stuff,” Performing Arts, May 1990, p. 31Google Scholar; Garafola, Lynn, “Bronislava Nijinska: A Legacy Uncovered,” Women in Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, Vol. 3, no. 2, 1987–1988CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Kisselgoff, Anna, “Nijinska, in Her Time, Was a Ballet Avant-Gardist,” in “Dance View” New York Times, May 11, 1986Google Scholar.

135. Greenberg, Clement, “Modernist Painting,” in Everett, Sally, Art Theory and Criticism: An Anthology of Formalist, Avante-Garde, Contextualist and Post-Modernist Thought (North Carolina, McFarland and Company, Inc., 1991), p. 111Google Scholar.

136. Nijinska, Bronislava, “On Movement and the School of Movement,” in Baer, Van Norman, p. 85Google Scholar.

137. Two points are important to note here: 1. the three Nijinska ballets performed by the Polish Ballet in New York during the 1939 World's Fair were under the artistic supervision of Leon Woizikowski, who according to Youchkevitch, “just sat and didn't say anything” about style or execution during its rehearsals; 2. the subsequent performances of Chopin Concerto, under Nijinska's direction and danced by more experienced companies, received greater acclaim than the 1937 premiere. Nijinska mounted Chopin Concerto for a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1940 as part of a program of Nijinska revivals and again in April, 1944 for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo for their season at City Center.

138. Scheuer, L. Franc, “The Polish Ballet in Paris,” The Dancing Times, January, 1938, p. 522Google Scholar.

139. Unidentified review, “Polish Ballet Deserves Better Treatment from London,” Evening London News, December 8, 1937Google Scholar. (Clippings—N. A.)

140. Martin, John, “Ballet Presents ‘Song of Our Land’,” New York Times, June 15, 1939Google Scholar. (NYPL Clippings File—MGZR Nijinska, Bronislava)

141. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, interviews with author, July and August, 1989.

142. In Ballet—To Poland, Ed. by Haskell, Arnold L., (New York: MacMillan Company, 1940), p. 15Google Scholar.