Les Biches
Russian ballerina Felia Doubrovska posing for a 1924 promotional photograph by Georges Detaille for Bronislava Nijinska's ballet Les Biches in Monte Carlo. Sourced from the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
QUICK F A C T S
- ✦ Les Biches premiered in 1924 and was choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
✦ The ballet is set to a score by Francis Poulenc, one of the composer's earliest major successes.
✦ Unlike traditional narrative ballets, Les Biches presents a series of social encounters rather than a single continuous story.
✦ The ballet became famous for its stylish depiction of modern life, reflecting the fashion, attitudes, and energy of the 1920s.
✦ Widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century ballet, Les Biches helped establish Nijinska as one of ballet's most important choreographers.
Vera Nemchinova and Anatole Wilzak in the Adagietto from Bronislava Nijinska's Les Biches, one of the defining works of the Ballets Russes era.
S U M M A R Y
What if a ballet focused on personalities, attraction, and modern life instead of fairy tales and princes? Premiering in 1924, Les Biches (The Does or The Party Girls) was choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska to a score by Francis Poulenc for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Set during a fashionable gathering in a French salon, the ballet introduces a cast of stylish and enigmatic characters whose relationships are left deliberately open to interpretation.
Lydia Sokolova and Lubov Tchernicheva in Bronislava Nijinska's Les Biches, one of the landmark ballets of the Ballets Russes.
South African ballerina Deanne Bergsma performing as The Hostess in a 1970 photograph by Roy Round for Bronislava Nijinska's ballet Les Biches.
Unlike traditional story ballets, Les Biches does not follow a single plot. Instead, Nijinska created a series of encounters, flirtations, and social games that capture the energy of the 1920s. Poulenc's sparkling score plays a central role, blending elegance, wit, lyricism, and playful humor. Together, the choreography and music created a work that felt distinctly modern while still drawing upon classical ballet technique.
Today, Les Biches is regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century ballet. Its sophisticated style, innovative choreography, and unforgettable music helped redefine what a ballet could be. Nearly a century after its premiere, it remains one of Bronislava Nijinska's greatest achievements and one of the most important works to emerge from the Ballets Russes.
Léon Wójcikowski in a 1926 photograph associated with Bronislava Nijinska's Les Biches. From the personal album of composer Francis Poulenc.
E N C O R E
✦ On Today's Stage
Les Biches is periodically revived by major ballet companies and remains an important work for those exploring the legacy of the Ballets Russes and the evolution of modern ballet.
✦ Iconic Interpreters
The original cast included Lydia Sokolova, Lubov Tchernicheva, Vera Nemchinova, Anatole Wilzak, and Léon Wójcikowski, whose performances helped establish the ballet as one of the Ballets Russes' greatest successes.
✦ Legacy
With Bronislava Nijinska's innovative choreography and Francis Poulenc's distinctive score, Les Biches challenged expectations about what ballet could portray. Its blend of sophistication, humor, and modernity continues to influence choreographers and delight audiences today.