Achille Viscusi and his Prague years

This work is devoted to personality of Achille Viscusi and his activities in the National theatre of Prague, where he worked as a ballet master in years 1900-1912. Achille Viscusi was italian-born. He started his career in european theatres as a dancer, later he turned to choreography and a pedagogy of dance. After the First world war he became a ballet master in Národní divadlo moravskoslezské in Moravská Ostrava, where he established a corps de ballet and a ballet school associated to the Theatre. After four years he moved to Bratislava, where he was a ballet master until 1932. In this thesis an emphasis is placed on his Prague engagement. There is a list of productions in which Viscusi took part as a choreographer including information how he was accepted by contemporary audience and critics. It focuses on productions fundamental for Czech ballet ? ballet pantomime by Oskar Nedbal and scenic implementation of Slavonic dances by Antonín Dvořák. Final three chapters provide characteristics of Achille Viscusi as a choreographer, a pedagogue and a dancer. This work is based on information from a press of his days