Bringing an American Report Card to Russia
Chapter 2 analyzes American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT’s) often-overlooked 1960 tour of the Soviet Union. The tour took place under highly fraught circumstances. Ballet was considered a uniquely Russian art form in both the United States and the Soviet Union. At many points in the spring and summer of 1960, both the Soviet and American governments threatened to withdraw support from the tour. In dealing with these concerns, ABT director Lucia Chase developed a strategy for presenting her company and the United States as the leader of an international, elite art form. Through repertoire and casting choices, she balanced the troupe’s profile, showing it as both an international company and an American organization. Moreover, the company’s American works bore striking similarities to Soviet drambalety and were therefore praised by Russian critics for displaying common aesthetic and political values. Much to the surprise of everyone involved, the strategy was successful.