Carmen (1926) & Bolero (1928)
Carmen and Bolero were preserved as part of the conservation work done in Phase One of processing the massive Ruth Page dance collection. The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts sponsored the conservation work done by Colorlab in Washington DC.
Performances of Carmen and Bolero in the Ruth Page Collection were filmed at Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois. Since 1926, Ruth Page served as Ballet Director and Première Danseuse with the Ravinia Opera, where she choreographed Carmen, Aïda, Faust, La Juive, Samson and Delilah, La Traviata, and La Vida Breve.* Ruth’s position with the Ravinia Opera was a pivotal point in her choreographic career as it marks the first opportunity for her to choreograph large-scale performances.
Both films originated on 35mm nitrate stock and were shot during the summer before Ruth Page set off for Asia on September 6, 1928 to be part of the coronation ceremonies of Japan’s emperor Hirohito.
*Our gratitude to Amanda Wick for her diligent research of Ruth Page and her career.