holas Efimov, and Alexandra Danilova formed the Soviet State Dancers, and were allowed to tour Germany during the Maryinsky vacation. They decided not to return to Russia, but to defect and go to England. The small company did so poorly in London that they were bought out of their contracts. They then went to Paris in hopes of finding work. Serge Diaghilev heard of this Russian company and sent for them. He hired the four dancers, and also allowed Dimitriev to work for the company. Diaghilev thought the Georgian's name Balanchivadze was too difficult to pronounce and changed it to Balanchine. Diaghilev was immediately impressed with Balanchine's creative ballets and wanted him to choreograph for the opera in Monte Carlo. For the Ballets Russes he created Apollo in 1928 and The Prodigal Son in 1929, which have remained Blanchine's signature pieces to this day. In 1926 Geva divorced him and went to America, and Alexandra Danilova became his "unofficial" wife. In 1929, while still with the Diaghilev company. Balanchine choreographed and danced in Dark Red Roses, the first talking motion picture in England. It was at this time that Balanchine heard of Diaghilev's death, leaving him and the entire Ballets Russes without work.George Balanchine past successes found him work as a choreographer in London, Copenhagen, Paris and also for a new company in Monte Carlo under the sponsorship of the Monaco Royal House. Rene Blum and Colonel William de Basil were the impresario and director of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Balanchine was fired from the Blum - De Basil company because of his unorthodox choreography and was replaced by Leonide Massine. In 1933 Balanchine formed his own company, Les Ballet 1933. It opened to poor reviews in Paris and gave only 20 performances in England.It was in England that he met his future benefactor, Lincoln Kirstein, a wealthy young American. Kirstein, with his friend Edward M.M.Warburg, invited Balanc...
