COLLECTIONS
Saghabashi Collection
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Destruction and Resilience in Iranian Dance History
The history of dance in Iran, much like the mythical Simurgh that rises from its ashes in the Shahnameh, has undergone recurring cycles of suppression and resurgence. Invasions, political transformations, and revolutions have repeatedly led to the marginalization and loss of artistic traditions. Most notably, the archives of the Iranian National Ballet Company and the National Folklore Organization of Iran were looted and burned following the Islamic Revolution. Additionally, a major archive compiled abroad over two decades was tragically lost in later events.
Despite these immense losses, the remnants of these collections formed the core of the only existing comprehensive academic research on ballet and institutional dance in Iran: The History of Ballet in Iran, published in the volume Dance in Iran – Past and Present, based on a scholarly project conducted in collaboration with Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Rediscovery of a Forgotten Legacy
A treasure trove unveiling Iran’s early dance heritage.Nima Kiann
To his surprise, Kiann found that the Saghabashis, particularly Jamshid and Magi Saghabashi—both principal dancers with the Iranian National Ballet Company during its golden era—had received scant recognition. Jamshid Saghabashi, a key artistic force at the INBC, had withdrawn from the public sphere following the dissolution of the company, his disillusionment silencing an important chapter of history. This absence allowed others with lesser contributions to overstate their roles, leading to widespread misinformation and inaccuracies in historical accounts.
A Family Devoted to Culture and the Arts
Generations of Devotion to Arts
One of Yavar Khan’s sons, Asadollah Saghabashi (b. 1903), was a musician proficient in Gharaney, Tar, and violin. He served as a music and choir teacher and led performances at Tehran’s Talar Farhang, the country’s first modern performance venue.
Asadollah Saghabashi had six children: Aghdas, his eldest daughter; Jahangir, an early ballet practitioner and actor; Farangiz, a violinist and accordionist; Keyvan, a violinist with the Saba Orchestra; Jamshid, the principal male dancer of the Iranian National Ballet; and Fereydoun, a ballet dancer, arts collector, and cultural archivist.
Jahangir Saghabashi was a pioneering figure in Iranian male ballet, training and performing at the Pars Theatre in LalehZar under the tutelage of “Mr. Maurice,” an Englishman regarded as Iran’s first ballet instructor. This discovery pushes the origins of ballet in Iran back to the mid-1910s, predating previous estimations by at least a decade.
Fereydoun Saghabashi began his artistic training in 1961, studying at the Tehran Conservatory of Music and later the newly established Ballet Academy. Inspired by Fereydoun’s dedication, his older brother Jamshid enrolled in the academy at the age of 14 and rose to become Iran’s leading male ballet dancer prior to the 1979 Revolution.
The Saghabashi Collection: A Recovered Treasure
Jahangir Saghabashi, a passionate collector of dance materials, unknowingly curated a unique archive over the years. This invaluable collection—now known as The Saghabashi Collection—has been generously donated to Les Ballets Persans. It comprises the largest and most comprehensive archive on institutional dance in Iran, serving as a spiritual successor to the lost Roudaki Hall archive.
The collection includes rare photographs, documents, film reels, publications, and personal items. Les Ballets Persans extends its deepest gratitude to the Saghabashi family for this extraordinary contribution, with special recognition to Mr. Fereydoun Saghabashi for his tireless efforts to preserve an accurate and truthful historical record.
This donation not only provides crucial new material for Iranian dance scholarship but also ensures that many long-silenced voices and stories are finally brought to light. The Saghabashi Collection stands as a monumental asset in reconstructing Iran’s artistic heritage—a legacy that will inform generations to come.