Ballet company formed in Monte Carlo in 1932.
The name derived from Sergey Diaghilev 's Ballets Russes , which dissolved after his death in 1929. Under René Blum and Col. W. de Basil, the company presented works by Léonide Massine and George Balanchine and featured Alexandra Danilova , André Eglevsky , and David Lichine. In 1938 clashes split the company into two groups: the Original Ballet Russe (led by de Basil), which toured internationally before dissolving in 1948; and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (led by Massine), which toured mainly in the U.S. with Danilova, Alicia Markova , and Maria Tallchief until 1963.