The Igor Moiseyev Dance Company Dancing Diplomats

In this book Anthony Shay examines the life and works of renowned choreographer Igor Moiseyev and his dance company. Formed in 1937 the Moiseyev Dance Company have performed across the globe and are the first major Soviet dance group to perform in the United States. Through the Moiseyev Dance Company, dance became a vital diplomatic tool, ballerinas replaced atom bombs, and helped usher in a new era of cultural exchange, formalized by an agreement signed by the United States and the Soviet Union. Through this book Shay explores the multiple lenses of spectacle, Russian nationalism, and the Cultural Cold War, to describe and analyse the history of Moiseyev’s company, and the shock that ‘innocent’ folk dance gave the American government. Blending academic study and personal anecdote Shay provides a nuanced analysis of Moiseyev’s importance and his place in the world of dance. This is the first English language study of Igor Moiseyev and his dance company.