Ballet Art of Soviet Ukraine from the Late 1910s to the Early 1930s: Classical Performances, Modern Intentions, Socialist Realism Canon

Abstract

The article conceptualizes the development of ballet art in Soviet Ukraine from the late 1910s to the early 1930s. The active use of ballets of classical heritage (Corsair, Futile Warning, Swan Lake, etc.) in the repertoire of opera theaters of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and the penetration of modern features into the ballet stage (Flying Ballet) were demonstrated. It is noted that elements of modern dance were cultivated in the activities of private choreographic and theater studios. The collapse of modernism with the introduction of the method of socialist realism in art with a focus on ideology, nationalism, and partisanship is noted. It was concluded that the state of ballet art in Soviet Ukraine from the late 1910s to the early 1930s can be qualified as a transition from modernization intentions, which were not realized, to the gradual introduction of the socialist realist method of artistic creation as the only one officially recognized by the Soviet authorities.