2 3 Throwback Thursday and Adolph Bolm | Ballet Webb

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Throwback Thursday and Adolph Bolm


Throwback Thursday and Adolph Bolm

Adolph Rudolphovich Bolm was accepted into the Imperial Ballet School (The Vaganova Academy), but after his first year he was told not to return.  But return he did, and the dance world is fortunate he did. From then on he worked hard and graduated. One of his classmates was Anna Pavlova, and he was responsible for organizing her first tour outside Russia.

From 1909-1917 he was one of the leading male dancers in Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe, and was particularly known for his character roles. While on tour in Belgium, Adolph Bolm met a lady named Beatrice, and they soon married. They moved to the United States where they lived out their lives. Their son, Olaf, was born on July 4, 1920 in Chicago.

Adolph Bolm was a man of many talents.  He was a dancer, choreographer, and teacher to many famous names such as Cyd Charisse, Ruth Page, Maria Tallchief and many others.  As a choreographer he was prolific, creating works such as Le Coq d'Or, Danse Macabre, and a ballet based on a popular comic strip of the day: Krazy Kat. In the 1940s, he was one of the first choreographers hired for the fledgling American Ballet Theatre.

Despite sharing the stage with many legends of classical ballet including Nijinsky, Balanchine and Massine, Adolph Bolm never achieved the same status or recognition. But his influence was nevertheless far reaching. He was a catalyst for the continued preservation and development of ballet, and for the training and inspiration of many dancers who had the privilege of working with him.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #59:  
Adolph Bolm was a talented dancer and choreographer who influenced the preservation and development of ballet.” 

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“Leave a legacy every hour every day in some way with something or someone.”
Robert J Braathe        

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