Tamara Karsavina, one of Diaghilev’s ballerinas, in the part of Nirilya/Nerilya in The Talisman.

The sari doesn’t appear to have pleats and Karsavina has a body stocking underneath. And although the blouse is loose and prettily edged, its the lovely print of the saree that I really liked here.  There are a few vintage photographs of ballet dancers in sarees (Anna Pavlova et al) but this appealed to me the most – you can see why Karsavina was often posed in costume.

You can see a coloured version here.