Ballets Russes: 100 years of dazzling dance

1916: Ballets Russes founder and director Serge Diaghilev Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Costume design for teh Ballets Russes production of The Firebird (1910) by Léon Bakst Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Vaslav Nijinsky, lead dancer in Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, in Le Spectre de la Rose (1911). Photograph: EO Hoppe/guardian.co.uk

Vaslav Nijinsky posing in costume from his ballet L'Apres-midi d'un Faune (1912), choreographed with assistance from Sergei Diaghilev and music by Claude Debussy Photograph: guardian.co.uk

1920: Russian ballerina Lubov Tchernicheva portrays Cleopatra in the Balanchine ballet, England, UK Photograph: EO Hoppe/guardian.co.uk

1924: The Ballets Russes perform Pulcinella in Monte Carlo, under the direction of Diaghilev. Music by Igor Stravinsky, choreography by Leonid Massine and designs by Pablo Picasso, based on Commedia della Arte characters. Photograph: Sasha/guardian.co.uk

1928: Ballets Russes perform Ode Photograph: guardian.co.uk

1939: Frederic Franklin (centre background), George Zoritch (centre), and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in their production of Rouge et Noir, which was choreographed by Leonide Massine. The production's sets and costumes were designed by Henri Matisse. Photograph: guardian.co.uk

The film The Red Shoes (1948), starring Moira Shearer as the young ballerina who becomes the lead dancer of an established ballet company, only to throw herself under a train. The relationship between the ill-fated dancer and her director (here played by Anton Walbrook) is said to mirror the power of the impresario Diaghilev over his lead dancer Nijinsky Photograph: ITV/guardian.co.uk

A scene from the 1948 film, in which Grischa Ljubov, playing the dancer Léonide Massine, helps Moira Shearer on with her red shoes Photograph: guardian.co.uk

1950: George Balanchine shows David Blair of London's Royal Ballet company a pas de deux dance position Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Ballet master George Balanchine examining hand of dancer Suzanne Farrell as other dancers rehearse for NYCB production of Don Quixote at New York State Theatre Photograph: Gjon Mili/guardian.co.uk

2004: A scene from Agon by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House. Part of Balanchine 100, a celebration of the centenary of the choreographer's birth Photograph: guardian.co.uk

2009: Daniel Davidson and Victoria Willard in the Scottish Ballet's production of Petrushka, part of Scenes de Ballet (Ian Spink Choreographer, Igor Stravinsky Music) Photograph: guardian.co.uk