How American Ballet Theatre spun cowboys and killers into international fame
In 1939, with the dazzling success of the Ballets Russes in mind, a group of dancers, choreographers and producers formed a venture called "Ballet Theatre." This was in New York, and they didn't have Pablo Picasso and Coco Chanel. They didn't have the sensational Russian star Vaslav Nijinsky. ¶ But they had his sister, and a handful of gutsy refugees looking for a new beginning. Together, they transformed the art …