Dance of Exile: The Sakharoffs’ Visual Performances in Montevideo (1935–1948)
This thesis explores the life-work chronology of the dancers and choreographers Clotilde von Derp (whose surname then was Sakharoff) and Alexander Sakharoff, who were exiled in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 1941 and 1948. During their stay in the Río de la Plata region, the Sakharoffs stirred up the art scene by performing extremely detailed dances with great attention to costume design.
This thesis begins with a review of the reception of the dancers’ performances by the artistic and cultural circles in Montevideo, arguing that the Sakharoffs’ “queer” trajectory resonated with the Uruguayan artistic community, influencing the creation of the Uruguayan national ballet, Cuerpo de baile del SODRE. Methodologically, this research is based on archival research and on visual and cultural analysis of press, photography, and printmaking related to the Sakharoffs. My analysis discusses the cross-pollination between the Sakharoffs and the Uruguayan art community, problematizing the center-periphery hierarchical relationship that typically describes South America as a recipient of European artistic cultures.
Publicado por Javier Fagúndez | 27 de agosto de 2019 - 17:17 | Actualizado: 24 de enero de 2024 - 18:22 | PDF
