Raven Wilkinson and Sergei Denham
In 1938, Sergei Denham established and directed the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in New York City due to World War II. Under Denham, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo bought the Swoboda School, where Raven Wilkinson trained. Denham allowed Wilkinson to dance with the company but did not want her to explicitly state her Blackness, as this could create controversy and further problems. After a series of long tours, Wilkinson was physically exhausted and burnt out from the touring and racism she had experienced and decided to leave the company. Denham tried to get her to stay, but she insisted she leave and move on to her next endeavor. When Raven Wilkinson later tried to go back to Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after struggling to find a full-time dancing job, she asked Denham to take her back into the studio, which he declined.
Sources:
Black Ballerinas Dancing on the Edge: An Analysis of the Cultural Politics in Delores Browne’s and Raven Wilkinson’s Careers, Joselli Deans
Photo: Tacoma City Ballet Library, The History of Ballet Russes
More about Sergei Denham
Sergei J. Denham was the director of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1938 to the mid-1960s. He was born in Moscow, studied at the University of Moscow. When his banker father died, a French nanny was hired to help care for the children, and Denham gives her credit for nurturing his love of ballet. The family moved from Samara on the Volga to Moscow, and Sergei was sent to boarding school near St. Petersburg and finished his schooling at The Moscow Commercial Institute. His education covered both business and the arts, two of Denham’s interests. After working as a banker in the United States, Denham became the vice-president of the American corporation that ran the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He directed the company for 24 years and founded the Ballet Russe School in 1954.
Sources:
Sergei Denham Papers, New York Public Library
Sergei Denham, Oxford Reference
Thandi Steele
