Biography

Serguéi Pávlovich Diáguilev was born on Sélischi  the 31th march of 1872 and dead on Venice the 19th august of 1929. His greatest achievement was his dance company – the ballets Russes. Created a century ago, the productions of the ballets Russes revolutionised early 20th century arts and continue to influence cultural activity today.

.After the death of Sergei's mother, his father married Elena Valerianovna Panaeva, an artistic young woman who was on very affectionate terms with her stepson and was a strong influence on him. The family lived in Perm but had an apartment in Saint Petersburg. In 1890, Sergei's parents went bankrupt, having for a long time lived beyond their means, and from that time Sergei had to support the family. After graduating from Perm gymnasium in 1890, he went to the capital to study law at St. Petersburg University, but ended up also taking classes at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, where he studied singing and music. After graduating in 1892 he abandoned his dreams of composition because one professor told him he had no talent for music.

He lived through the cataclysms of the First World War and the Russian revolutions, yet seemed strangely unaffected by them. He embraced the modern and exploited the avant-garde, but was  in many ways deeply conservative.

He shared his family’s love of music and as his early career involved creating russia’s first fine art periodical was introduced to many practising artists. When opportunity led him to Paris he recognised the potential to revitalise the dance scene commissioning productions from the finest artists, choreographers and composers so that art would dance with music in theatre.