Guide to the Papers of Rex Reid and Natasha Kirsta

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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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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).

Letters and material relating to George Kirsta, 1930-1954 (File NK 1) - Box 1

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

Small format black and white photos - mostly unidentified, 1930's - 1970s (File NK 5) - Box 1

Small format colour photos - mostly unidentified, 1960s - 1980s (File NK 6) - Box 1

Les Cosmopolitains ballet company - contracts and correspondence, 1956 (File NK 7) - Box 1

Citizenship/passports etc, 1950s - (File NK8) - Box 1

Letters to Natasha Kirsta from Rex Reid, 1965 - 1982 (File NK9) - Box 2

Letters to Natasha Kirsta from family and colleagues, 1965 - 1980 (File NK10) - Box 2

The Mora family - letters and related material, 1963 - 1982 (File NK 11) - Box 2

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

Letters in French, German and Russian - some identified, 1965 - 1980 (File NK 15) - Box 3

Paperwork relating to health, 1955 - 1974 (File NK 16) - Box 3

Address books x 3, 1950s - 1980s (File NK 17) - Box 3

Accounts books x 10 - Melbourne and Adelaide ballet schools, 1971 - 1982 (File NK 18) - Box 3

Telegrams - c.20, 1966 - 1982 (File NK 19) - Box 3

Business card - loose and in plastic sleeves (File NK 20) - Box 3

Programs and invitations - various connections (File NK 21) - Box 4

Miscellaneous items (File NK 24) - Box 4

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

Personal file, 1917 - 2000 (File RR 26) - Box 5

Black and white photos - studio and portrait, 1950 - (File RR 27) - Box 5

A4 display book - Televisiton ballets - two folders, 1950s - 1960s (File RR 29) - Box 5

A4 display book - Western Australia Ballet Co, 1970s (File RR 30) - Box 6

A4 folder of Adelaide Dance Companies, 1970s (File RR 31) - Box 6

Hugh Colman - Madame Butterfly costumes drawings - photocies, 1982 (File RR 32) - Box 6

Diaries/appointment books, 1969 - 1998 (File RR 33) - Box 6

Black and white photos - six small plastic bags, 1950s - 1969 (File RR 34) - Box 6

Coloured photos - two bags, 1970s - 1990s (File RR 35) - Box 7

5mm colour negative strips, 1970s - 1990s (File RR 36) - Box 7

Family photos, 19th - 20th century (File RR 37) - Box 7

Ballet magazines and programs, 1940s - 1980s (File RR 38) - Box 8

Travel documents, passports, etc (File RR 39) - Box 8

Miscellaneous items (File RR 40) - Box 8

Reel to reel tapes, videos etc, 1950s - 1980s (File RR 41) - Box 8

Audio reel with 2 different labels: Reel: ''The Room' 3+4; RAD 1-2. Case: 'The Illusionist' by George Dreyfus, 1963 (Item NLA.MS-SAV006323) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Agfa Magnetoband 5", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
Case top says: Phillip Warrell's BalletCase back says: Interview with Rex Reid, Melbourne March 1963, 1963 (Item NLA.MS-SAV006324) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Ampex 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
Sidney Bechet - 'La Nuit est un Sorciere (The Night is a Sorceress)' (Item NLA.MS-SAV006325) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, BASF 5", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

Original costume designs for ballets (x2 large items), 1960s - 1970s (File) - Map-Folio 9

Large format photographs (File NK 4) - Folio-Box 10

Sheet music, 1930s - (File NK 22A) - Folio-Box 10

Newspaper broadsheets, 1970s - 1982 (File NK 23) - Folio-Box 10

A3 display book of dance related material, 1942 - 1986 (File RR 28) - Folio-Box 10

Original costume and set designs for ballet (File) - Folio-Box 10

Adelaide Festival Centre Trust (File) - Box 11

The Rex Reed Dancers (File) - Box 11

Miscellaneous items (File) - Box 11

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-N1700
Rehearsal Three, 1961? (Item NLA.MS-SAV006327) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Sonocolour 5", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

WP17 on tape.VP675 on case

Act 1-2 ?? Ballet (Item NLA.MS-SAV006328) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, BASF 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

VP756

'The Glade', 1965? (Item NLA.MS-SAV006329) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Scotch 202 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

VP902

Tape says: 'The Room' - Rex Reid Dancers.Case says: ''The Awakening' - Ballet Rehearsal tape (Item NLA.MS-SAV006330) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, BASF 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

VP1216 on tapeVPX1812 on case

Reels 1, 2, 3 (File) - Box 13

'The Glade' rehearsal (Item NLA.MS-SAV007761) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, RCA 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'The Glade' Master 24 + 'Queen' (Item NLA.MS-SAV007762) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, EMITAPE 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'Comedians' (Item NLA.MS-SAV007763) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, BASF Magnetophonband 5", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'El Gan Gatica' (Item NLA.MS-SAV007764) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Unbranded 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'The Room' uncut rehearsal (Item NLA.MS-SAV007765) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, BASF 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
[no details] (Item NLA.MS-SAV007766) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Tandberg Radio (Agfa Magneton) 71/2, Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'Mermaid' (Item NLA.MS-SAV007767) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Unbranded 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
Concert 77 Opening, 1977? (Item NLA.MS-SAV007768) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Scotch 71/2, Magnetic tape reel (any size)

Track list in tape case

'Ivan the Terrible' (Item NLA.MS-SAV007769) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Soundcraft 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'Mate Hisse'?? (Item NLA.MS-SAV008106) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-031
1 item, Sonocolor 71/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)

Music sheets, records x2, reels (File) - Folio-Box 14

Duplicate tape: 'La Nuit est un Sorciere (The Night is a Sorceress)'; Interlude - Masquerade overture (Robert Hughes); Bluebird; Beauty and the Beast (Item NLA.MS-SAV006331) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, BASF 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
Dreamtime Narration'? (Item NLA.MS-SAV006332) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Scotch 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
La Matchiche?? (Item NLA.MS-SAV006333) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Grundig 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
[unlabelled] (Item NLA.MS-SAV006334) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, TDK 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'Bouquet Garni' (Item NLA.MS-SAV006335) - Shelf-Short OH2-1-025
1 item, Scotch 7 1/2", Magnetic tape reel (any size)
'One in Five' by WA Ballet Company, 15/04/1970 (Item NLA.MS-SAV006336) - Film-TempLoc 1
1 item, Posso 400 foot, 8mm film and Super 8 film

Filmed by members of the WA Amateur Cine Society

'Bouquet Garni' by WA Ballet Company, 15/04/1970 (Item NLA.MS-SAV006337) - Film-TempLoc 1
1 item, Posso 400 foot, 8mm film and Super 8 film

Filmed by members of the WA Amateur Cine Society

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.


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