ers ▁to ▁seek ▁their ▁advice . ▁He ▁formally ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁Pal ais ▁G arn ier ▁closed ▁its ▁doors ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁remained ▁closed ▁for ▁eigh teen ▁months . ▁After ▁much ▁difficulty , ▁he ▁was ▁finally ▁able ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁short ▁bal let ▁by ▁Ig or ▁Stra vin sky ▁called ▁The ▁Be es . ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁he ▁presented ▁several ▁Bar o que ▁oper as ▁that ▁met ▁with ▁little ▁success . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁he ▁turned ▁to ▁contemporary ▁works ▁by ▁French ▁and ▁foreign ▁compos ers , ▁such ▁as ▁Hon eg ger , ▁P ou len c , ▁Stra uss ▁and ▁Pro k of iev . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁seat ▁at ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁des ▁Be aux - Ar ts ▁and ▁named ▁a ▁Commander ▁in ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁of ▁Honor . ▁Following ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Bal lets ▁Russ es , ▁he ▁obtained ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁Serge ▁L if ar ▁as ▁master ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁Opera ▁Bal let ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁rest oring ▁dance ▁to ▁its ▁former ▁place ▁of ▁importance ▁there . ▁ ▁Despite ▁R ouch é ' s ▁best ▁efforts , ▁the ▁def ic its ▁continued ▁to ▁w ors en ▁and , ▁by ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁it ▁was ▁clear ▁that ▁major ▁re forms ▁were ▁needed . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁at ▁the ▁suggestion ▁of ▁Jean ▁Z ay , ▁the