Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was a ballet company founded by impresario René Blum along with choreographer Léonide Massine, operating between 1937 and 1968. This Monegasque-American ensemble emerged as one of the two primary successors to Serge Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes, reviving many of its celebrated productions and collaborating with notable costume designers and visual artists, including André Derain, Joan Miró, and Christian Bérard. Although committed to upholding Diaghilev's artistic vision and standards, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo seldom commissioned original scores from contemporary composers, instead opting for orchestrations of well-known classical pieces.
Following Diaghilev's death in August 1929, the Ballets Russes faced significant financial difficulties, ultimately going bankrupt and dissolving to settle debts with U.S. creditors amid the onset of the Great Depression. In 1931, Russian impresario Colonel Wassily de Basil (1888–1951) teamed up with René Blum (1878–1942), who was then the director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, to create the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (notably using the plural form) in an effort to continue Diaghilev's legacy. They enlisted his students Léonide Massine and George Balanchine as choreographers. However, after two seasons, their partnership deteriorated due to ongoing disputes regarding staff and artistic direction, leading to their split in 1934. Wassily continued with the Ballets Russes de Colonel W. de Basil, while Blum established his own company, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, in 1937, with support from philanthropist Julius Fleischmann Jr. (1900–1968) and his World Art Inc. foundation. In 1938, Blum appointed Léonide Massine as the artistic director.
A legal conflict arose when all of Massine’s ballets were published under both Blum and Basil, with Basil refusing to grant permission or sell rights. Massine subsequently filed a lawsuit in London, asserting ownership of the original copyrights and the "Ballet Russe" trademark. The court's ruling yielded mixed results, confirming his rights to ballets created before 1932 and allowing both parties to use the "Ballet Russe" name. Colonel de Basil continued his company under the name Original Ballet Russe until 1947.
In 1938, Blum and Massine rebranded as Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (singular "Ballet") and made their debut in London. Interestingly, both competing troupes were managed by Sol Hurok, who unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile Blum and Basil. Consequently, they often scheduled simultaneous tours and performed at venues just blocks apart, occasionally sharing dancers. The company primarily toured the United States, frequently performing at The Metropolitan Opera House and collaborating with notable choreographers such as Michel Fokine, George Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, Frederick Ashton, Agnes de Mille, and Valerie Bettis. Among the prominent dancers and ballerinas who graced the stage with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo were Alexandra Danilova, Maria Tallchief, Nicholas Magallanes, Lois Bewley, George Zoritch, Alicia Alonso, Cyd Charisse, Marc Platt, Irina Baronova, and Leon Danielian.
Tragically, in December 1941, shortly after the Nazi occupation of France, René Blum was arrested at his Paris home. His life came to a grim end after being detained in several French camps, culminating in his death at Auschwitz in September 1942. Following this, Sergei J. Denham (1897–1970), an executive from Fleischmann's World Art Inc., assumed the role of director. During World War II, the company focused solely on touring the United States and Canada, making New York City Center its home from 1944 to 1948. Ultimately, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo declared bankruptcy in 1968.
