The fundamental identity and ideals of the Soviet Union were built on the principles of Marxism and the appeal to the proletariat worker. The Soviet Union built itself off of destroying the old ways of the tsar and aristocracy to build a new path towards a modern nation state that resisted Western liberalism and capitalism. However, they were never able to cleanse themselves of the cultural remnants of their tsarist past; in fact, they relished in certain aspects of it. The epiphany of this can be characterized in the angelic art of ballet. Russia is often crowned as the center of the ballet world. And who can disagree? After all, one of the most notable names in ballet, Tchaikovsky, was Russian.
Russian ballet was first established by Peter the Great in creation of The Imperial Ballet School in 1738. Besides the name, it was the crux of imperial and aristocratic culture, as the themes often placed queens, princes, and kings as the protagonists and centers of all of the stories. Although not Russian in origin, in the following century Russia would start to create a name for itself in the world of ballet. With the ingenious compositions by Tchaikovsky, the performances of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker became world renowned. Russia had gained cultural capital in Western Europe as the Romanticism Era was in full swing, a defining style of when people think of European beauty.
Once revolution swept through Russia in 1917, the Bolsheviks tried wiping all of what they could from tsarist institutions and culture. Statues were defaced, ministries disbanded, and countless people murdered. During all of this violent chaos the ballet was never touched; it did, however, go into crisis. The theatres had lost their aristocratic sponsors, high prices, and an exodus of dancers and teachers. It would seem like ballet would die in the birth of the revolution, like many other aristocratic features of the Russian society. They couldn't even afford heating: in between sets, the dancers would have to throw on their bulky warm clothes to survive the Russian winter. Although never attacked, the ballet faced harsh scrutiny, often being marked as actors for pro-monarchy and anti-Soviet propaganda. They were viewed as backwards and remnants of the old regime. The only reason they were kept around was because the Minister of Education was very adamant in keeping them around, and was very persuasive to Lenin.
After receiving pressure from the public, the theaters tried changing. They created new productions in which the protagonists were the workers and the communists, with creations like Red Whirlwind and Dance Symphony. These failed miserably, with crowds hissing and booing by the end of every performance. It wasn't until they started to embrace folklore and tradition that they started to receive positive feedback. It first happened in 1927 when Fyodor Lopukhov interpreted the Danish fairytale Ice Maiden, a story about a beautiful woman who lures men to their death. It was a hit. Rather than hissing and walkouts, the ballet was met with applause. It pushed forth a new era in Soviet ballet that brought a revival of old stories.
After Ice Maiden, Lopukhov went to reinterpret a Russian classic, the Nutcracker. He added more theatrics to it by adding more acrobats and modernizing costumes, and it was a smash hit. Going into the Stalin era, classical ballet flourished. Over the course of fifteen years, ballet turned from a resentful art form that represented a monarchal past, to a celebration of Russian culture and identity. Stalin recognised its usefulness. International visitors were nothing short of impressed by the chorography and talent of their productions, it was an excellent tool for soft power.
In a lot of ways it was used as a distraction for people to divert their attention away from the government. Towards the late stages of the Soviet Union Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake was played on news channels during turbulent times. After the death of Chairman Brezhnev and more famously during the collapse of the Soviet Union itself while tanks and gunmen infested the moscow streets.
Even in post-soviet Russia the Swan Lake dancers are still used as political images against the Putin regime. They symbolize political turmoil in the country as people use them as an almost counter culture against Putin.
Art has always carried or reflected political undertones across all medians throughout all of modern history. However, dancing is never the first thing that comes to mind when discussing its political and historical significance. Looking at how even today, the same piece continues to act as a symbol really opens the door to how art is such an influential actor in politics and people's perception.
Sources Used:
Kuchta, Anna. “‘history of the Russian Ballet.’” Seton Hall University (SHU) - Seton Hall University, 14 Feb. 2024, www.shu.edu/arts-sciences/news/history-of-the-russian-ballet.html.
LeBere, Kathryn. “Red Swans: The Transformation of Ballet after the Russian Cultural Revolution (1924-1937).” The University of Victoria, 2019.
Maynes, Charles. “In 1991, Soviet Citizens Saw Swans on the TV... and Knew It Meant Turmoil.” NPR, NPR, 19 Aug. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1029437787/in-1991-soviet-citizens-saw-swans-on-the-tv-and-knew-it-meant-turmoil.
Pouncy, Carolyn. “Dancing up a Storm: The 1917 Revolution and Russian Ballet.” Culture Matters, 19 Mar. 2017, www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/arts/theatre/item/2484-dancing-up-a-storm-the-1917-revolution-and-russian-ballet.
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