Serge Lifar and Suzanne Lorcia (1938) - Fragments of 'Les Sylphides' and 'The Sleeping Beauty'

There is very little footage of the famed Ballets Russes, particularly before the death of Serge de Diaghilev in 1929 - the impresario had forbidden filming of his company, probably for a variety of obvious reasons. There are really only two examples - Tamara Karsavina performing Mikhail Fokine's 'The Torch Dance', filmed in 1909, and amateur film of an outdoor rehearsal of 'Les Sylphides' with Serge Lifar and the corps de ballet at the 'Fetes de Narcisses' in Montreux, Switzerland in 1928. After the death of Diaghilev and the formation of the various new Ballets Russes companies, a little more film involving the company's first era principal dancers was taken. This video is of two fragments of 1938 performances by Serge Lifar and Suzanne Lorcia. The first involves part of a pas de deux from 'Les Sylphides' and the second a little of a pas de deux and solo by the Blue Bird and Princess Florine from 'The Sleeping Beauty'. Serge Lifar was not the greatest technician so, as much as anything else, it is interesting to have a sense of the dancing of Suzanne Lorcia, who I know mainly from images and reading. Unfortunately, the watermarks really make it quite difficult to see the performances at times but perhaps it is better to have this footage than not. Enjoy!