René Blum (impresario)

René Blum (March 13, 1878 – April 28, 1942) was a French opera and ballet impresario, journalist, and brother of the French Prime Minister Léon Blum. He is best known for his role in the revival of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in 1931, following the death of Sergei Diaghilev.

Blum, in collaboration with Colonel Wassily de Basil, provided artistic and administrative leadership to the company. He focused on preserving the Diaghilev legacy while also fostering new choreography and talent. Blum's tenure saw the premieres of works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Léonide Massine, and Michel Fokine. He also helped to launch the careers of dancers like Irina Baronova, Tatiana Riabouchinska, and Tamara Toumanova, known as the "baby ballerinas."

Internal conflicts and disagreements with de Basil eventually led to a split in the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Blum formed his own company, initially called the Ballets de Monte Carlo, but later renamed it Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, leading to confusion with the other company.

During World War II, Blum, being Jewish, was arrested by the Gestapo in 1941. He was initially interned at the Drancy internment camp and later deported to Auschwitz, where he was murdered in 1942. His contributions to ballet are remembered for revitalizing the art form after Diaghilev's death and fostering a new generation of dancers and choreographers.