Vera Sabina in Sylphide, 1927

Ritratto fotografico della ballerina Vera Savina (Vera Clark) in costume di scena per il balletto Sylphide, 1927. | src Libreria antiquaria Gonelli
Ritratto fotografico della ballerina Vera Savina (Vera Clark) in costume di scena per il balletto Sylphide, 1927. | src Libreria antiquaria Gonelli

Al verso della fotografia timbri della ‘Casa d’Arte Bragaglia’ e della ‘Rivista Popolo d’Italia’, insieme ad una annotazione manoscritta, parzialmente errata, nella quale si legge il nome della Savina.

La celebre ballerina inglese (Vera Clark, in arte Savina) lavorò a Mosca nel corpo di ballo dei Ballets Russes di Diaghilev e sposò Léonide Massine (Myasin), altro grande coreografo russo. È ripresa seduta nell’atto in indossare una scarpetta. L’acconciatura, il costume di scena, il gioiello ed il bracciolo della sedia corrispondono esattamente a quelli con cui la ritrasse il pittore scozzese Herbert James Gunn nel quadro ‘Sylphide‘ (1927 – collezione privata).

On the back of the photograph, stamps of the ‘Casa d’Arte Bragaglia’ and ‘Rivista Popolo d’Italia’, together with a handwritten annotation, partially incorrect, in which the name of Savina can be read.

The famous English dancer (Vera Clark, aka Savina) worked in Moscow in the ballet troupe of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and married Léonide Massine (Myasin), another great Russian choreographer. She is shown sitting in the act of wearing a shoe. The hairstyle, the stage costume, the jewel and the armrest of the chair correspond exactly to those with which the Scottish painter Herbert James Gunn portrayed her in the painting ‘Sylphide‘ (1927 – private collection).

Der Tanz by Anny Heimann

Anny Heimann, Berlin, Tänzerin, 1900s, orientalism, veiled
Anny Heimann, Berlin :: Der Tanz. From: „Die Kunst in der Photographie", 1908
Anny Heimann, Berlin :: Der Tanz. Autotypie. From: „Die Kunst in der Photographie”, 1908
Anny Heimann, Berlin :: Der Tanz. Autotypie. From: „Die Kunst in der Photographie", 1908
Anny Heimann, Berlin :: Der Tanz. Autotypie. From: „Die Kunst in der Photographie”, 1908

Amateur dancers, 1920s

Just magic. Off studio postcard (1920s) | src unexpectedtales on Flickr
Just magic. Off studio postcard (1920s) | src unexpectedtales on Flickr
Serious Charleston dancing, 1920s (London studio stamp) | src unexpectedtales on Flickr
Serious Charleston dancing, 1920s (studio stamp: Anglo French Photo Co., 46 New Kent Road, London) | src unexpectedtales on Flickr
Egyptian in the studio, unknown date. | src unexpectedtales on Flickr
An Egyptian in the studio, unknown date. | src unexpectedtales on Flickr

Expressionist dancer by Veritas

Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online

Stephanie Ludwig ran a studio in Munich called Veritas or Atelier Veritas. Some of her clients were expressionist dancers whom she photographed elegantly and simply, using natural light. Although the photo was dated 1905 on source, you can read on bottom right of the frame of the three images of this post “VERITAS. MCHN. / 1910”. The “unidentified expressionist dancer” looks very much like Clotilde von Derp. Clotilde Margarete Anna Edle von der Planitz (1892-1974) grew up in Munich, she received ballet lessons from Julie Bergmann and Anna Ornelli from the Munich Opera and she gave her first performance on 25 April 1910 at the Hotel Union, using the stage name Clotilde von Derp.

Probably these three photographs belong to that period and maybe linked to that performance on April 25th, 1910.

Furthermore, she was photographed by Stephanie Ludwig-Held for Der Kunstlerische Tanz Unserer Zeit (Hermann and Marianne Aubel, published 1928). view post

Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905”. Full size. | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905”. Full size. | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905” (*) | Grainger Museum Online
Stephanie Ludwig ~ Atelier Veritas (München) :: “Unidentified expressionist dancer, 1905”. Full size. | Grainger Museum Online