Guide to the Papers of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta
MS Acc12.018
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta
- Title
- Papers of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta
- Date Range
- c. 1800-2000
- Collection Number
- MS Acc12.018
- Extent
- 4.55 metres (11 ms boxes + 2 large folio boxes + 1 map folio)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Comprises material relating to the dance career and personal lives of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta. Includes extensive collection of photographs, correspondence and folders relating to various dance companies and productions.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6489028).
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta, National Library of Australia, MS Acc12.018, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Finding Aid Source(s)
Please note: This finding aid may comprise or contain descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.
Biographical / Historical
Dancer, choreographer, artistic director and teacher. Rex Thomas Reid was born in Adelaide in 1921. At the age of 15 Reid won a scholarship that took him to London to study at the Vic-Wells Ballet. In Europe, Reid pursued a professional dance career with several companies including Mona Inglesby's International Ballet Company, London Ballet and Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. He also performed in West End revues. In 1970 Reid returned to Australia to join the West Australian Ballet as artistic director, 1970-1974. He was also associated with the Australian Ballet and Dance Theatre Victoria and, as choreographer, Reid produced works for the Ballet Guild and Ballet Victoria. With the closure of the Dance Theatre Victoria, Reid worked as a teacher in many countries in south and south-east Asia. In 1983 Reid was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Reid died in Melbourne in 2000.Natasha Kirsta was born Princess Natasha Watchinadze in Russia in 1894. Her second husband was the Ballets Russes theatre designer George Kirsta. She left the USSR with George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova in the 1920s and lived in Vienna, later travelling to Berlin to direct Victor Gsovsky's ballet school. She co-founded Ballet Kirsta with Govsky in the early 1950s which performed throughout Europe. The company included Lesley Caron, Brigitte Bardot and Roland Petit. Rex Reid, who would maintain a close friendship with Kirsta, was principal choreographer and dancer. Kirsta moved to Australia in 1957, settling in Melbourne and working as a ballet school administrator. She was a member of the Australian Ballet Theatre Group, which held its inaugural meeting in October 1959 to discuss an approach to the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust regarding the formation of a permanent Australian ballet company. Kirsta forged friendships with European and Australian artists and performers including Jean Cocteau, the Stravinksys, Arthur Rubinstein, Marlene Dietrich, John Gielgud, Kathleen Gorham, Anne Church, Nadia Nerina, Rudolf Nureyev and Marcel Marceau. She died in 1982.
Item Descriptions
Class MS Acc12.018. Original Consignment
MS Acc12.018 comprises material relating to the dance career and personal lives of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta. Includes extensive collection of photographs, correspondence and folders relating to various dance companies and productions, including the Western Australian Ballet Company, the Adelaide Dance Company. Original costume and set design drawings for a variety of productions (11 boxes, 2 large folio boxes, 1 map folio).
Black and white photographic reproductions of GK's work, GK's artwork, 1920's - 1930's (File NK 2) - Box 1
Black and white photos - studio and portrait of friends, colleagues, artists, actors and dancers, 1930's - 1980s (File NK 3) - Box 1
Letters to Natasha Kirsta from Jacques Derruau (in French). Norman Hudson (Adelaide Festival Committee member) travelling to Europe in October, 1975, wuold deliver letters for NK, 1961 - 1979 (File NK 12) - Box 2
Letters to Natasha Kirsta from Lila Kedrova and Richard Howard. All letters from Kedrova are written in Russian. Note - NK 23 holds 2 articles on Lila Kedrova, 1970 - 1975 (File NK 13) - Box 3
Letters to Natasha Kirsta from Godefroy Ritter-Gordon (in French and German), 1970 - 1975 (File NK 14) - Box 3
Post/greeting cards, with and without envelopes. Some cards have been placed with letters (See NK 10 - NK 15). Bag "A" - NK cards (mostly undated and/or unidentified); Bag "B" - NK cards and notes with envelopes; Bag "C" - NK (and RR) postcards, 1950 - 1990s (File NK 25) - Box 4
Post/greeting cards, with and without envelopes. Bag "D" - RR post and greetings cards; Bag "E" - RR postcards., 1950 - 1980s (File RR 25) - Box 5
Sheet music. Not all material at studio taken. Most of the music is for piano only, for use in rehearsals, 1930 - (File RR 22B) - Box 5
Reel to reel tapes, videos etc, 1950s - 1980s (File RR 41) - Box 8
Reels, music, et al (File) - Box 12
Bouquet Garni 29/05/1975, 29/05/1975 (Item NLA.MS-SAV006326) - Video-TempLoc 1
1 item, Philips VCR VC-30, Analogue: Moving Image (analogue video): Consumer formats - Philips N1500-N1700Act 1-2 ?? Ballet (Item NLA.MS-SAV006328) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, BASF 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)VP756
Reels 1, 2, 3 (File) - Box 13
Music sheets, records x2, reels (File) - Folio-Box 14
La Matchiche?? (Item NLA.MS-SAV006333) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Grundig 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)Class MS Acc12.031. Consignment Received 2012
MS Acc12.031 comprises programs and posters for various dance performances and companies, including the West Australian Ballet Company, at various venues including the State Opera House in Adelaide and the Capitol Theatre in Perth. Correspondence and possible contract, in Spanish, from the Teatro Recreio, Brasil.