Serge Lifar, born in Kiev in 1905, became the last of Diaghilev's discoveries. Only a teenager when he joined the Diaghilev troupe, within two years he was made premier danseur (1925), a post he held until Diaghilev's death and the dissolution of the company in 1929. He began his choreographic career with his mentor and, with his appointment to the Opéra in Paris in 1930, he launched himself as a prolific creator of ballets, many of them starring vehicles for his own artistry. Surely this is one of the finest posters ever created for a dancer and even among the many superb dance posters produced by Colin... it has to rank at or near the top... [T]he effective use of his two favorite colors, red and black, the strong central image, the movement of the dancer by imposition of the form over the face, the use of light and shadow, the typography—everything works together, and well (Colin, p. 10).
Imp. Bedos, Paris
literature: Colin, 63; Colin Affichiste, 92; PAI-LXXXIII, 299