Canon and Beyond : Edvard Fazer and the Imperial Russian Ballet 1908 - 1910

The study explores the first appearances of Russian ballet dancers on the stages of northern Europe in 1908 1910, particularly the performances organized by a Finnish impresario, Edvard Fazer, in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berlin. The company, which consisted of dancers from the Imperial Theatres of St. Petersburg, travelled under the name The Imperial Russian Ballet of St. Petersburg. The Imperial Russian Ballet gave more than seventy performances altogether during its tours of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and central Europe. The synchronic approach of the study covers the various cities as well as genres and thus stretches the rather rigid geographical and genre boundaries of dance historiography. The study also explores the role of the canon in dance history, revealing some of the diversity which underlies the standard canonical interpretation of early twentieth-century Russian ballet by bringing in source material from the archives of northern Europe. Issues like the central position of written documentation, the importance of geographical centres, the emphasis on novelty and reformers and the short and narrow scholarly tradition have affected the formation of the dance history canon in the west, often imposing limits on the historians and narrowing the scope of research. The analysis of the tours concentrates on four themes: virtuosity, character dancing, the idea of the expressive body, and the controversy over ballet and new dance. The debate concerning the old and new within ballet is also touched upon. These issues are discussed in connection with each city, but are stressed differently depending on the local art scene. In Copenhagen, the strong local canon based on August Bournonville s works influenced the Danish criticism of Russian ballet. In Helsinki, Stockholm and Berlin, the lack of a solid local canon made critics and audiences more open to new influences, and ballet was discussed in a much broader cultural context than that provided by the local ballet tradition. The contemporary interest in the more natural, expressive human body, emerging both in theatre and dance, was an international trend that also influenced the way ballet was discussed. Character dancing, now at low ebb, played a central role in the success of the Imperial Russian Ballet, not only because of its exoticism but also because it was considered to echo the kind of performing body represented by new dance forms. By exploring this genre and its dancers, the thesis brings to light artists who are less known in the current dance history canon, but who made considerable careers in their own time.

Patterns in the distribution and abundance of female eastern king prawns, Melicertus plebejus (Hess, 1865), capable of spawning and reproductive potential in waters off

Linear mixed models were used to test the null hypothesis that there were no differences between seasons and locations in the reproductive potential of female eastern king prawns, Melicertus plebejus along the east coast of Australia. Three samples were collected in each season between autumn 1991 and winter 1992 (inclusive). Females capable of spawning were found at all locations but proportions were greater in lower than higher latitudes. Females capable of spawning were not found at the southern (highest latitude) most location in all seasons. There was a significant interaction in reproductive potential between seasons and locations suggesting that patterns among seasons differed between locations and vice versa. Reproductive potential was greatest amongst the northern (lower latitudes) most locations and was greatest in autumn at these locations. Seasonal patterns were less pronounced further south (higher latitudes). The length composition of females in catches differed between locations with more larger prawns found in samples from northern locations. The challenge that remains is to quantify the oceanic sources of larvae that contribute to recruitment in each nursery area and the estuarine sources of juveniles that contribute adults back to the effective spawning stock. Maintaining the effective spawning stock and important nursery areas are crucial to the sustainability of this resource.

Lotte Stern and Dr. Alfred Stern with Otto Wallerstein, a relative of Lotte's father; Berkeley, California.

From left to right: Lotte Stern, Otto Wallerstein, Alfred Stern; Photograph taken shortly after arrival in Berkeley, California

Portrait of Israel Meyerhof.

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Tombstone of Otto Meyerhof; Hildesheim, Germany Cemeteries Tombs

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Painted portrait of Hirsch (Zwiven Israel) Oppenheimer with his wife Johanna (Chana bat Schmuel) nee Enoch. Portraits Couples

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Julius Pick aged 93 at his grandson Gary Godshaw's Bar Mitzvah; Buffalo, New York Portraits Men

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Guests at Sophie Oppenheimer's 70th birthday celebration Portraits Groups

Handwritten on verso: (top l-r) Heinz Marcus, Hilde Marcus, Heinz Ascher, Else Stern, Gerhard Ascher, Hattie Wallerstein, Kurt Stern, Paula Stern, Lula Ascher and Hilde Marcus; (second row l-r) Otto Oppenheimer, Heinrich Ascher, Julius Stern, David Wallerstein, Max Marcus, Alex Goldschmidt and Ernst Oppenheimer; (third row l-r) Rose, Hans Oppenheimer, Gertrud Ascher, Oma Oppenheimer, Emma, Martha, Lene, Lucy, Hans, Lore; (front row l-r) Margot Ascher, Heinz Ascher, Golda Ascher, Edith Goldschmidt, Irma Ascher, Lotti Goldschmidt, Gretl Oppenheimer and Ilse Oppenheimer

Portrait of Hilde Rosenbaum with her father Julius Rosenbaum in military uniform Portraits Family

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Lotte Stern and Dr. Alfred Stern with Otto Wallerstein, a relative of Lotte's father; Berkeley, California.

From left to right: Lotte Stern, Otto Wallerstein, Alfred Stern; Photograph taken shortly after arrival in Berkeley, California

Studio portrait of Julius Krakauer as a young man; Landeshut (Kamienna Gora), Schlesia.

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