A "Brilliant Talk" and a "Stirring Appeal": How Women of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Built an Audience for the Ballets Russes in 1917

By February 13, 1917, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes had been crisscrossing the United States for four, grueling months, dancing to often disappointingly small houses, in which the appreciation of both critics and public was tempered with varying degrees of disapproval and bewilderment. When the company arrived that day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it would have had little reason to expect anything different. But if the local press is to be believed, the performance there met with exceptional success. The Grand Rapids Herald began its review (signed C.M.S.), by celebrating the size, enthusiasm, and sophistication of the audience.