Ballet, propaganda, and politics in the Cold War: the Bolshoi Ballet in London and the Sadler's Wells Ballet in Moscow, October-November 1956

摘要

In the autumn of 1956, the Bolshoi Ballet arrived for its first London tour, providing the researcher with an opportunity for in-depth analysis of British-Soviet relations during the Cold War. The paper looks at behind-the-scenes negotiations and how the most mundane organisational matters could take on immense importance in a Cold War environment. By bringing to the fore the mass-media and political factors involved, the ballet can be seen for what it actually was at the time: a powerful cultural and diplomatic tool.