P H OTO G RAP H S
ROSELLA HIGHTOWER, 1951 A STAR IS BORN AT THE EMPIRE THEATRE
Along the Seine in Paris, the legacy of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes had inspired a new generation of dancers and was breathing new energy into classical ballet. Hightower is the proof. When she first danced in Paris at the Alhambra, 1947, with the Grand Ballet du Marquis du Cuevas, she received only a warm reception but went on to receive high acclaim for her role in Swan Lake amongst many others. The role of the Black Swan is a huge challenge for any ballerina. The music is composed by Tchaïkovsky and the choregraphy was by Marius Petipa (1822-1910). Hightower began her dance training at the class of Dorothy Perkins in Kansas City. In 1937 she went to Monte Carlo at the invitation of Léonide Massine, principal choreographer of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. She joined the Grand Ballet du Marquis du Cuevas in 1947. The Marquis du Cuevas (of Santiago, Chile), was the husband of a grand-daughter of Rockfeller; an eccentric personality who had a huge passion for dance and Ballet in particular. P2J0146
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