George de Cuevas facts for kids

Jorge Cuevas Bartholín, known as George de Cuevas (1885 – 22 February 1961), was a famous Chilean-born ballet impresario and choreographer. An impresario is someone who organizes and finances concerts, operas, or ballets. He is best known for creating his own ballet company, the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, in 1944.

Early Life and Family

George de Cuevas was born as Jorge Cuevas Bartholín in 1885. His birthplace was Santiago, Chile. His father, Eduardo Cuevas Avaria, was a well-known Chilean politician and diplomat. A diplomat represents their country in other nations. His mother was María Manuela del Carmen Bartholín de la Guarda. George had five siblings and many half-siblings from his father's earlier marriages.

In 1927, George de Cuevas married Margaret Rockefeller Strong in Paris. Margaret was the granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, a very famous American businessman. At the time, George was working as a secretary at the Chilean embassy in London. Margaret had studied chemistry at Cambridge University. George and Margaret had two children, a daughter named Elizabeth (also called Bessie) and a son named John. Some people called George de Cuevas the Marquis de Piedrablanca y Guana. This was a social title that he sometimes used.

Becoming a U.S. Citizen

In July 1940, George de Cuevas became a naturalized citizen of the United States. This means he officially became a citizen of the U.S. He legally changed his name to George de Cuevas. Even though he changed his name, people still sometimes used his social title, "Marquis," in public and in news reports.

In 1940, George and his wife helped put on an art show. It was part of the 1939 New York World's Fair. They displayed many valuable old paintings and modern French art. These artworks were borrowed from private collections and were worth a lot of money.

Creating a Ballet Company

In 1944, George de Cuevas started his own ballet company. It was first called Ballet International in New York City. The company performed at a theater in Columbus Circle. Over time, the company was known by different names. These included the Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo and the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. However, many people simply called it The de Cuevas Ballet.

Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas flyer for performances on 5 October 1954. This flyer is from the Marquis de Cuevas Collection at Ailina Dance Archives.

In 1947, a famous dancer named Rosella Hightower joined George de Cuevas's ballet company. She decided to join because the well-known choreographer Bronislava Nijinska was also working there. Nijinska created a special dance for Hightower called Rondo Capriccioso. Besides classic dances, Hightower also performed in Piège de Lumière. In this ballet, she danced as a butterfly in a tropical forest. The butterfly charms a group of escaped prisoners.

A Famous Duel

In 1958, when George de Cuevas was 72 years old, he had a duel in France. His opponent was Serge Lifar, a 52-year-old retired ballet master and choreographer. The duel happened because of an argument. They disagreed about changes to a ballet called Black and White (also known as Suite en Blanc). This ballet was created by Lifar and was being performed by Cuevas's company.

Lifar had been publicly slapped after he insisted on keeping his rights to the ballet. He then challenged Cuevas to a duel with swords. Duels had been mostly outlawed since the 1600s, so the exact time and place were kept secret. About 50 newspaper photographers watched the duel. It ended quickly with both men in tears and hugging. The only injury was a small cut on Lifar's arm. The New York Times called it "the most delicate encounter in the history of French dueling."

Final Success and Passing

The last big success of George de Cuevas's career was a production of The Sleeping Beauty. It opened in Paris in October 1960. Critics praised the performance. Even though he was very ill, his doctors allowed him to attend the premiere. He famously said, "if I am going to die, I will die backstage." After the show, he was wheeled onto the stage. The audience gave him a standing ovation.

George de Cuevas passed away at age 75 on February 22, 1961. He died at his home, Les Délices, in Cannes, France. His ballet company was scheduled to perform Sleeping Beauty in Cannes the night after he died. They canceled the performance to honor his memory.

See also

In Spanish: Marqués de Cuevas para niños