Foreword by Janet Rowson Davis
Introduction
Chapter 1: Childhood and Youth: The Formation of an Intellectual
and Aesthete
Chapter 2: René Blum, Man of Letters
Chapter 3: Marcel Proust and René Blum: An Uncommon Friendship
Chapter 4: The Great War and René Blum
Chapter 5: The Stately Pleasure Dome: René Blum and the Théâtre de
Monte-Carlo
Chapter 6: René and Josette: Romance in Monte Carlo
Chapter 7: The Resurrection of the Ballets Russes de
Monte-Carlo
Chapter 8: Blum Brings Michel Fokine into the Fold
Chapter 9: The New World Calls: Blum Sells the Company to
Americans
Chapter 10: Blum's Last Days
Epilogue
Appendix: List of Productions in Monte Carlo
Notes
List of René Blum's Publications and Other Writings
Select Bibliography
Judith Chazin-Bennahum, former ballet dancer, is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Mexico.
"Like a detective, Judith Chazin-Bennahum sets out to recover René
Blum's fascinating and ultimately tragic life from the margins of
history. Weaving him into the tapestry of the Belle Epoque and les
années folles, she reveals a life devoted from childhood to the
arts, a writer-turned-ballet impresario who brought taste, passion,
and a rare gift for friendship to everything he did. The brother of
Léon Blum, the first Socialist and first
Jewish prime minister of France, René died in Auschwitz, a victim
like so many others of Nazi racial hatred."--Lynn Garafola,
Professor of Dance, Barnard College
"Chazin-Bennahum has unearthed the truth about René Blum's
extraordinary vision and artistic contributions. By illuminating
the life of an important dance figure via an array of previously
unknown primary sources, she also provides a first-rate model for
dance biographies yet to come."--Elizabeth Aldrich, Dance
Historian
"Balletomanes, Francophiles, and students of European cultural
history will enjoy this scholarly and meticulously researched
work." -- Library Journal
"Well researched and fascinating account of the wars of the Ballet
Russes and World War II that destroyed so many great artists." --
ART TIMES
"We owe her a debt for bringing Blum back into historical view." --
New York Times Book Review
"A splendid new biography...For dance aficionados the book is a
treasure house of information about life inside a ballet company
from both artistic and financial points of view...This book is a
wonder." -- Washington Independent Review of Books
"Judith Chazin-Bennahum, the author, who researched heretofore
uninvestigated archives, has done a heroic job in bringing to a
larger public the life and work of René Blum, who was perhaps the
quintessential embodiment of twentieth century European culture up
until World War I and a major force in dance after 1925." -- Art
Times
"The book is a major achievement in dance history. But
Chazin-Bennahum's finest work is her last chapter, a harrowing
account of Blum's final days. His heroism and selflessness in an
appalling situation will bring tears to your eyes." -- Dance
Magazine
"This book is a long-needed account of the theater critic, art
critic, ballet impresario, cinephile, army interpreter, showman,
business director, talent scout and shill - and victim of the
Nazis." -- San Francisco Chronicle, Best Books of 2011
"This biography is a must-read for all balletomanes, especially
those who are interested in the history of the Ballets Russes and
its impact on the development of modern dance...Chazin-Bennahum has
brought René Blum and his work back into view, recovering the
narrative of an exceptional life tragically cut short by the Nazis'
barbarism." -- Gay &Lesbian Review
"Judith Chazin-Bennahum, in searching for [Blum's] lost life, has
done a service - not just culturally, but morally." --DCA News
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