Grand Ecart

Last winter, while balletomanes gasped in the sidelines, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo split itself neatly into two rival ballet organizations. To one of them, newly backed by several midwest socialites including Yeast-Tycoon Julius Fleischmann under the name World-Art, Inc., went famed Choreographer Leonide Massine. Also to be drawn under the World-Art aegis was the Monte Carlo Ballet of Monte Carlo. To the opposite camp, sup ported by Prince Serge Obolensky and cohorts of Manhattan socialites, went rangy Colonel de Basil, a great deal of scenery and the right to produce most of the important ballets in the repertory (TIME, Feb. 14). For a time the rival organizations glowered and girded them selves for rival U. S. tours next season. But four months ago, it was announced that the battle was off, that the two new ballet companies had decided to make up their differences, that a super-ballet com pany incorporating the talent of both groups would make its debut at Covent Garden in London this June. In absorbing the de Basil Ballet, World-Art jumped a cosmic category, became Universal Art Inc.

But last month, as the new super-ballet was preparing for a somewhat delayed London opening, it leaked out that the constellations of Universal's new universe had collided. De Basil, who had not personally signed any agreement with Universal, denied flatly that any merger had taken place, claimed that he could not speak English and had not understood the terms of Universal's proposal. Universal Art promptly sued de Basil, only to find, in court, that de Basil no longer owned the scenery and production rights of the de Basil Ballet, but had sold them to a new organization, Educational Ballets Ltd., in order to escape his creditors.

Three weeks ago, Universal, reduced again to World-Art, Inc., was starting on a new scent, and was preparing to sue Educational Ballets. But Educational Ballets, backed by Baron Frederic D'Erlanger, jumped the gun and opened a season of ballet at Covent Garden with the original de Basil ballet's No. 2 choreographer, David Lichine, as director. The flittery world of the ballet having sprawled into another grand ecart, World-Art announced that it would open this week across the street at Drury Lane with Massine in charge. Meantime Ballet's forgetful and forgotten man. Col. Wassily de Basil, moped off to Paris where he planned to open a restaurant.

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