‘La Chatte' was created in 1926-7 for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The story of the ballet, after one of Aesop's fables, was written by Boris Kochno under the pseudonym ‘Sobeka'. The music was written by Henri Sauguet and choreographed by George Balanchine. Sergei Grigoriev directed the production and Roger Desormieres was the conductor. Naum Gabo with his brother Antoine Pevsner (constructivists artists) designed the set and the costumes. The first performance was given in Monte Carlo on 30 April 1927 and the ballet continued to be performed until 1929 all over Europe, including Paris, London (at the Prince's Theatre), Prague, Geneva, Belgium, Austria, Budapest and Berlin.

Serge Lifar