Sergeyev Collection

A drawing of Nicholas Sergeyev by Pavel Froman, 1929. From The Sergeyev Collection.

The Sergeyev Collection (officially Nikolai Sergeev Dance Notations and Music Scores for Ballets) is a collection of choreographic notation, musical materials, designs for décor and costumes, theatre programs, photos and other items that document the repertory of the Imperial Ballet (precursor of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet) of St. Petersburg, Russia at the turn of the 20th century. The majority of the choreographic notations document the original works and revivals of the choreographer Marius Petipa, who served as Premier Maître de ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. The collection also documents a few ballets by Lev Ivanov, who served as second Maître de ballet. Also included in the collection are choreographic notations documenting the choreography for the dances of various operas by both Petipa and Ivanov, respectively.

The collection is named for Nicholas Sergeyev, former dancer and régisseur-général of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, who brought the collection out of Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Since 1969 these materials have been held in the Harvard Theatre Collection at Houghton Library.

History of the collection

At the end of the nineteenth century, the dancer Vladimir Stepanov developed his own method of choreographic notation, which he detailed in his book L'Alphabet des Mouvements du Corps Humain. In 1893 Stepanov proposed a project to the head committee of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg and its school, the Imperial Ballet School, that would record the company's repertory for posterity. The committee, which made decisions on the appointment of dancers, repertory, etc., consisted of Marius Petipa (Premier Maître de ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres); Lev Ivanov (second Maître de Ballet); Ekaterina Vazem (former Prima ballerina of the Imperial Theatres and teacher of the classe de perfection); Pavel Gerdt (Premier danseur of the Imperial Theatres); and Christian Johansson (former Premier danseur of the Imperial Theatres and teacher at the school). The committee required that Stepanov first present demonstrations, known as "certifications", on the effectiveness of his new method before the project would be implemented.

The first of these demonstrations was the notation of Lev Ivanov's one-act ballet La Flûte magique, which was staged for the Imperial Ballet School in 1893. The second demonstration was a revival of Jules Perrot's one-act ballet of 1848 Le Rêve du peintre, which was staged by Stepanov for the Imperial Ballet School, the first performance being given on 23 April [O.S. 2 May] 1893. Stepanov staged Le Rêve du peintre from notations he prepared from consultations with Christian Johansson, who had danced the principal male role. Based on the success of these demonstrations, the proposed notation project was approved and Stepanov soon set to work documenting the repertory of the Imperial Ballet. Among the first works to be notated was Petipa's 1894 ballet Le Réveil de Flore followed by the scene Le jardin animé from the ballet Le Corsaire.

After Stepanov's death in 1896, the dancer Alexander Gorsky took over the notation project. After Gorsky departed St. Petersburg in 1900 to take up the post of Maître de ballet to the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, the Imperial Ballet's régisseur Nicholas Sergeyev succeeded him to supervise the notation project. By the early 1900's Sergeyev had assistants aiding him in preparing the notations: Alexander Chekrygin (ru: Чекрыгин, Александр Иванович, Victor Rakhmanov, Nikolay Kremnev (ru: Николай Кремнев), and S. Ponomaryev (ru: С. Пономарев).

After the revolution of 1917, Nicholas Sergeyev left Russia with all of the notations as well as a great deal of music and other materials relating to the documented works.

A page of the Stepanov choreographic notation from the Sergeyev Collection for the Petipa/Minkus La Bayadère, circa 1900

In 1921 Sergeyev took over the post of régisseur to the ballet troupe of the Latvian National Opera in Riga, and during his appointment with the company he added more materials belonging to the notated ballets. Piano scores and orchestral parts for some of the ballets was also added, such as Paquita by Édouard Deldevez, The Little Humpbacked Horse by Cesare Pugni, and Adolphe Adam's scores for Giselle and Le Corsaire among others.

In 1920 Sergeyev was invited by Sergei Diaghilev to stage The Sleeping Beauty for the Ballets Russes in Paris, but Diaghilev's insistence on altering passages of Petipa's choreography caused Sergeyev to withdraw his services.

Sergeyev utilized the notation to mount Giselle for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1924, with the ballerina Olga Spessivtseva in the title role and Anton Dolin as Albrecht. This was not only the first time that the Parisian ballet had danced Giselle since the 1860s, but also the first production outside of Russia to include the old choreographic text as preserved under Petipa and his predecessors in St. Petersburg.

At the invitation of Ninette de Valois, Sergeyev staged many works from the notations for the Vic-Wells/Sadler's Wells Ballet (precursor of the Royal Ballet) in London: Coppélia (1933), Swan Lake (1934), The Nutcracker (1934), Giselle (1934) and The Sleeping Beauty as The Sleeping Princess (1939). Sergeyev also began staging works with the aid of the notations in 1942 for the International Ballet, a British touring company founded in 1941 by the ballerina Mona Inglesby.

The Sadler's Wells Ballet staged a new production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946 to re-open the Royal Opera House. The production featured a heavily altered choreographic text that angered Sergeyev to such an extent that he left the company. At the invitation of Inglesby, Sergeyev soon took up the post of Ballet Master to the International Ballet. Sergeyev's stagings for both of these British companies formed the nucleus of what is now known loosely as the "classical ballet repertory", and as a result these works went on to be staged all over the world in versions derived from Sergeyev's stagings.

Nicholas Sergeyev died in Nice, France on 23 June 1951. Upon his death the notations passed on for a briefly to a Russian associate of his, from whom Mona Inglesby purchased them. Through the London theatrical dealer Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, Inglesby sold the notations for Swan Lake to Harvard University in 1967. Two years later in 1969 Inglesby sold Harvard the rest of the collection of Sergeyev's materials for a sum claimed to be around £6,000. Today the collection is known officially as the Nikolai Sergeev Dance Notations and Music Scores for Ballets, or simply as The Sergeyev Collection.

Noted use of the collection in modern times

• In 1984 the historians Peter Wright and the musicologist/professor Roland John Wiley used the notation to stage a new production of The Nutcracker for the Royal Ballet.
• In 1999, Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a new production of The Sleeping Beauty for the Mariinsky Ballet. The original décor and costumes were restored from the designs of 1890.
• In 2001, Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a new production of La Bayadère for the Mariinsky Ballet. The décor and costumes were created from designs prepared for Marius Petipa's final revival of the ballet in 1900.
• In 2001, Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a new production of Coppélia for the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 2008, Vikharev staged this version for the Bolshoi Ballet. The production featured décor and costumes based on the Imperial Ballet's production of the late 19th century.
• In 2004, with the assistance of Manard Stewart, Doug Fullington used the notation to stage a reconstruction of Petipa's original choreography for the scene Le Jardin animé from the ballet Le Corsaire for the Pacific Northwest Ballet School's annual recital at the Seattle Opera House.
• In 2006, Doug Fullington used the notation to assist Ivan Liśka in staging a new production of Le Corsaire for the Bayerisches Staatsballett.
• In 2007, Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka used the notations to stage a new production of Le Corsaire for the Bolshoi Ballet.
• In 2007, the Pacific Northwest Ballet presented a lecture-demonstration using the Sergeyev Collection. Doug Fullington reconstructed various dances from the notations which were performed with examples of George Balanchine's choreography in order to demonstrate Petipa's influence on the work of Balanchine.
• In 2007, Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a reconstruction of Petipa's Le Réveil de Flore for the Mariinsky Ballet. The production featured décor and costumes from the original designs of 1894.
• In 2008, Yuri Burlaka used the notation for a new staging of the Grand Pas classique, Pas de trois and Mazurka des enfants from Paquita for the Bolshoi Ballet.
• In 2009, Yuri Burlaka and Vassily Medvedev used the notation to stage a new production of La Esmeralda for the Bolshoi Ballet. The production featured décor and costumes from designs made for the Imperial Ballet's production of 1899.
• In 2011 Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a new production of Raymonda for the Teatro alla Scala. The production featured décor and costumes from designs made for the original production of 1898.
• In 2011, Doug Fullington utilized the notation to assist Peter Boal in a new production of Giselle for the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
• In 2012, Doug Fullington used the notation to present the program After Petipa for Works and Process at the Guggenheim. The program featured reconstructions of passages from Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.
• In 2013, Doug Fullington and Marian Smith used the notation to present the program Giselle Revisited for Works and Process at the Guggenheim.
• In 2013 Vassily Medvedev and Yuri Burlaka used the notation to stage a new production of The Nutcracker for the Bayerisches Staatsballett. The décor and costumes were created from the designs of the first production of 1892.
• In 2014, Doug Fullington used the notation to present the program Petipa Exotique for Works and Process at the Guggenheim. The program featured reconstructions of passages from La Bayadère, Le Corsaire and Le Roi Candaule.
• In 2014 Doug Fullington and Alexei Ratmansky used the notation to stage a new production of Paquita for the Bayerisches Staatsballett.
• In 2015, Sergei Vikharev used the notation to stage a new production of La fille mal gardée for the Ural Opera Ballet Theatre.
• In 2015, Doug Fullington and Alexei Ratmansky used the notation to stage a new production of The Sleeping Beauty for a joint project between American Ballet Theatre and the Teatro alla Scala. The production featured décor and costumes based on the designs by Léon Bakst for the Ballets Russes production.
• In 2016, Doug Fullington used the notation for the program Commedia dell'arte Explored for Works and Process at the Guggenheim. The program featured reconstructions of passages from Petipa's Les Millions d'Arléquin.
• In 2016 Alexei Ratmansky used the notation to stage a new production of Swan Lake for the Zürich Ballet.
• In 2018, Alexei Ratmansky used the notation to stage a new production of Les Millions d'Arléquin as Harlequinade for American Ballet Theatre. The production was later staged by the Australian Ballet in 2022. The production featured décor and costumes from designs made for the Imperial Ballet's production of 1900.
• In 2021, Stanislav Belyaevsky used the notation to stage a new production Les Ruses d'amour as The Trial of Damis at the Theatre of the Hermitage Museum.
• In 2023, the choreographer Tony Candeloro and the Stepanov choreographic notation expert Juan Bockamp used the notation to stage a new production of The Pharaoh's Daughter for the Mariinsky Ballet.

Works documented in the collection

• Paquita Petipa, after Mazilier (music: Deldevez) – 3 acts
• Giselle Petipa, after Coralli and Perrot (music: Adam) – 2 acts
• The Sleeping Beauty Petipa (music: Tchaikovsky) – Prologue and 3 acts
• The Nutcracker Ivanov?; Petipa? (music: Tchaikovsky) – 2 acts/3 tableaux
• Le Réveil de Flore Petipa (music: Drigo) – 1 act
• La Fille mal gardée Petipa and Ivanov, after Taglioni (music: Hertel) – 3 acts/4 tableaux
• Swan Lake Petipa & Ivanov, after Reisinger (music: Tchaikovsky; rev. Drigo) – 3 acts/4 tableaux
• Coppélia Petipa & Cecchetti, after Saint-Léon (music: Delibes) – 2 acts
• Les Caprices du Papillon Petipa (music: Krotkov) – 1 Act
• The Little Humpbacked Horse Petipa (1895) and Gorsky (1912), after Saint-Léon (music: Pugni) – 4 acts/10 tableaux
• Le Halte de Cavalerie Petipa (music: Armshiemer) – 1 Act
• Raymonda Petipa (music: Glazunov) – 3 acts/4 tableaux
• La Esmeralda Petipa, after Perrot (music: Pugni) – 3 acts/5 tableaux
• The Pharaoh's Daughter Petipa (music: Pugni) – 4 acts/7 tableaux
• Le Corsaire Petipa, after Mazilier (music: Adam, etc.) – 3 acts/5 tableaux
• Les Millions d'Arlequin (a.k.a. Harlequinade) Petipa (music: Drigo) – 2 acts
• Les Ruses d'Amour Petipa (music: Glazunov) – 1 act
• The Pupils of Dupré Petipa (music: Vizentini) – 2 acts (abridgement of Petipa's 1886 ballet L'Ordre du Roi)
• La Bayadère Petipa (music: Minkus) – 4 acts
• Le Roi Candaule Petipa (music: Pugni) – 4 acts/6 tableaux
• La Forêt enchantée Ivanov and Petipa (music: Drigo) – 1 act
• La Flûte magique Ivanov (music: Drigo) – 1 act
• The Fairy Doll Nikolai Legat and Sergei Legat (music: Bayer, etc.) – 1 act/2 tableaux
• Songe du Rajah (1930 - Nicholas Sergeyev's version of the scene The Kingdom of the Shades from Petipa's La Bayadère)
• Small Balletic Pieces - numerous items from various ballets.
• Ballet sections from 24 operas

• Fullington, Doug. Petipa's Le Jardin Animé Restored. The Dancing Times: September, 2004. Vol. 94, No. 1129.
• Fullington, Doug: The River Variations in Petipa's La Fille du Pharaon. The Dancing Times: December, 2000, Vol. 91, No. 1083.
• Wiley, Roland John. Dances from Russia: An Introduction to the Sergeyev Collection Published in The Harvard Library Bulletin, 24.1 January 1976.

External links

• Nikolai Sergeev Dance Notations and Music Scores for Ballets, 1888-1944 (MS Thr 245) Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
• Nikolai Sergeev choreographic and music scores for the ballet Swan Lake, 1905-1924 (MS Thr 186) Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
• Discussion with Sergei Vikharev
• Mona Inglesby obituary in The Daily Telegraph
• 1946 Sleeping Beauty in Royal Ballet performance database