Smithsonian Associates: Women Who Shaped the Musical World, Lecture 4 – Women of the Ballet Russe

Throughout the history of Western music, men have claimed most of the spotlight and accolades as performers, composers, teachers, impresarios, patrons, and instrument makers. Less attention has been paid to the scores of brilliant creative women who played these roles—along with many others—and who were relegated to the less brightly lit corners of the musical word.

Popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin places them center stage as she examines their talent, grit, intellect, and drive, without which many of the most celebrated musical figures might have been significantly less successful, and the musical repertoire far less rich. She brings these women and their often-untold stories to life, showcasing them with live piano performances and historical and contemporary media clips.

British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.

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Serge Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe is venerated for its great male innovators such as Nijinsky, Bakst, and Stravinsky. But many of its most extraordinary artists and contributors were women. Nijinsky’s sister Bronislava Nijinska was one of ballet’s most distinguished creators, both as a dancer and choreographer. The avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova designed groundbreaking costumes and scenery for ballets such as the Firebird and the Golden Cockerel. And the brilliant, charismatic heiress Ida Rubinstein braved incarceration in an asylum by her horrified family to become one of the most fearless modern dancers in Paris, acting, commissioning, and eventually directing her own ballet company with Nijinsky as her choreographer.