Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo

Ballet company formed in Monte Carlo in 1932. The name derived from Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which dissolved after his death in 1929. Under René Blum and Col. W. de Basil, the company presented works by Léonide Massine and George Balanchine and featured Alexandra Danilova, André Eglevsky, and David Lichine. In 1938 clashes split the company into two groups: the Original Ballet Russe (led by de Basil), which toured internationally before dissolving in 1948; and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (led by Massine), which toured mainly in the U.S. with Danilova, Alicia Markova, and Maria Tallchief until 1963.