Grands Ballets Canadiens founder Ludmilla Chiriaeff's archives find home at BAnQ

Twenty years afterLudmilla Chiriaeff's death,researchers and the general public will soon be able to understand and appreciate more aboutthe role the Russian dancer playedin bringing ballet to Montreal.

The archives of the founder of the Grands Ballets Canadiens, as well as the archives of the ballet company, arenow part of the Quebec provincial collection at theBibliothequeset archivesnationalesdu Quebec (BAnQ).

• RobertLepagevirtual-reality show fetes10thbirthday of the GrandeBibliothque
• MeetFranoisBarbeau, the man behind the Nutcracker costumes

Born to Russian parents in Berlin in 1924,Chiriaeffemigrated to Montreal in 1952.

She was hired by CBC's French-language service,Radio-Canada, for a series of 130 ballet performances for a program calledL'heuredu concert.

She foundedl'colede balletChiriaeff, which becamel'Acadmiedes GrandsBalletsCanadiensin 1958.

Chiriaeffdied in 1996 at the age of 72, determined to have her archives preserved for future dancers and historians.

"I feel sad to give it awaybecause it'spart of mother,but very proud that we found a place that will take care and guard it for posterity," said AnastasiaChiriaeff, the late dancer's daughter.

"It took us 20 years, and I promised her it would be in good hands for everand it is. I'm proudandrelieved."

Vast collection

In a news release, the BAnQoutlined the size of the archival collection.

It documents her early life, as well as the establishment of the Grands Ballets Canadiens academy and schooland the development of the teaching of dance in Quebec's publicschool system, notably Pierre-Laporte high school and CEGEP Vieux-Montral.

It includes:

• 32 linear metres of written documents.
• 5,000 photographs.
• 273 videos.
• 171 audio recordings.
• 220 posters.

In addition, there is the Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral collection.

Among the highlights: a photograph of dancers James Kudelka and Annette Av Paul, accompanied by former secretary of state for external affairs,Joe Clark,meeting senior Chinese bureaucrats during the company's Asian tour in 1984.

That collection also includes:

• 7.5 linear metres of written documents
• 20,000 photographs.
• 478 videos.

No papers, no passport

AnastasiaChiriaeff saidher mother made a promise to herself when she arrived in Canada in 1952 as a war refugee.

"If she survived the camps she said that to me time and time again and,'If this country took us in as artists with no papers, no passports whatever, it means I have a mission. What do I have to offer? I know nothing but dance, my passion for dance.' And she gave it to her last breath."

Chiriaeff taught young dancers, introduced dance to two Montreal public schools and campaigned to get public funding for dance at a time when there was no dance tradition in Montreal.

"We never saw her, the family. Her passion was dance," says her daughter.

"People thought we were rich but no. We had dancers live in our home, students. Everything she made went back into the company."

One of the photos in the archive shows an elegantly attired Chiriaeff dressed in a sleeveless white dress, standing on a step ladder, paintbrush in hand, painting the ceiling of the garage that became the first headquarters of the company.

"She liked the camera. She wasn't a dancer for nothing." said Anastasia.

New home for dance company

Later this year, the Grands Ballets Canadiens will move from that former garage to the newly built Maison de la dance.

It's in part that move that has made these twoarchival donations possible.

• Brian Macdonald, Canadian choreographer, dead at 86

Alain Dancyger, the general manager of the Grands Ballets, said the BAnQ has had archivists working at the Grands Ballet for fouryears, "looking at all the photos and documents so this has been fairly strenuous work but definitely worthwhile."

Dancyger says the company received many requests for access to the material but was unable to respond to these requests because the documents weren't organized and readily accessible.

Now they are.

The documents are now available for consultation at the BAnQVieux-Montral on VigerStreetEast.

They are part of a growing collection documenting the performing arts, including material from choreographers Fernand Nault, Paul-Andr Fortier, Jean-Pierre Perreaultand the Festival international de la nouvelle danse.

Word-of-mouth art form

Thearchives has also prepared a guide for dance companies to help them understand the importance of keeping a record of their work and how to do so.

It's important, because dance isan art form that was so long transferred by word of mouth from dancer to dancer and fromchoreographer to choreographer.