aftercurtain.
Loading navigation…

Ballets

Upcoming shows

673 shows

Clear filters

Circus Polka

Ballet · 1942

Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant was written by Igor Stravinsky in 1942, and scored for wind band and Hammond organ by David Raksin. Stravinsky wrote it for a ballet production that the choreographer George Balanchine did for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The ballet was performed by fifty elephants and fifty ballerinas. Stravinsky's own orchestration was prepared later, and was premiered on 14 January 1944 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Stravinsky conducting.

Concerto Barocco

Ballet · 1941

Concerto Barocco is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Bach's Concerto for Two Violins. Danced by a cast of eleven, the ballet is completely plotless, and according to Balanchine, "has no "subject matter" beyond the score which it is danced and the particular dancers who execute it". The ballet was made for the American Ballet Caravan's 1941 South American tour, and premiered on June 27, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro. The ballet has entered the repertories of many ballet companies, including Balanchine's New York City Ballet.

Coppélia

Ballet · 1870

Dr. Coppélius is a doctor who has made a life-size dancing doll. It is so lifelike that Franz, a village youth, becomes infatuated with it and sets aside his heart's true desire, Swanhilda. She shows him his folly by dressing as the doll, pretending to make it come to life and ultimately saving him from an untimely end at the hands of the inventor. Act I The story begins during a town festival to celebrate the arrival of a new bell. The town crier announces that, when it arrives, anyone who becomes married will be awarded a special gift of money. Swanhilda and Franz plan to marry during the festival. However, Swanhilda becomes unhappy with Franz because he seems to be paying more attention to a girl named Coppélia, who sits motionless on the balcony of a nearby house. The house belongs to a mysterious and faintly diabolical inventor, Doctor Coppélius. Although Coppélia spends all of her time sitting motionless and reading, Franz is mesmerized by her beauty and is determined to attract her attention. Still upset with Franz, Swanhilda shakes an ear of wheat to her head: if it rattles, then she will know that Franz loves her. Upon doing this, however, she hears nothing. When she shakes it by Franz's head, he also hears nothing; but then he tells her that it rattles. However, she does not believe him and runs away heartbroken. Later on, Dr. Coppelius leaves his house and is heckled by a group of boys. After shooing them away, he continues on without realizing that he dropped his keys in the melée. Swanhilda finds the keys, which gives her the idea of learning more about Coppélia. She and her friends decide to enter Dr. Coppelius' house. Meanwhile, Franz develops his own plan to meet Coppélia, climbing a ladder to her balcony. Act II Swanhilda and her friends find themselves in a large room filled with people. However, the occupants aren't moving. The girls discover that, rather than people, these are life-size mechanical dolls. They quickly wind them up and watch them move. Swanhilda also finds Coppélia behind a curtain and discovers that she, too, is a doll. Dr. Coppelius returns home to find the girls. He becomes angry with them, not only for trespassing but for also disturbing his workroom. He kicks them out and begins cleaning up the mess. However, upon noticing Franz at the window, Coppélius invites him in. The inventor wants to bring Coppélia to life but, to do that, he needs a human sacrifice. With a magic spell, he will take Franz's spirit and transfer it to Coppélia. After Dr. Coppelius proffers him some wine laced with sleeping powder, Franz begins to fall asleep. The inventor then readies his magic spell. However, Dr. Coppelius did not expel all the girls: Swanhilda is still there, hidden behind a curtain. She dresses up in Coppélia's clothes and pretends that the doll has come to life. She wakes Franz and then winds up all the mechanical dolls to aid their escape. Dr. Coppelius becomes confused and then saddened when he finds a lifeless Coppélia behind the curtain. Act III Swanhilda and Franz are about to make their wedding vows when the angry Dr. Coppelius appears, claiming damages. Dismayed at having caused such an upset, Swanhilda offers Dr. Coppelius her dowry in return for his forgiveness. However, Franz tells Swanhilda to keep her dowry and offers to pay Dr. Coppelius instead. At that point, the mayor intervenes and gives Dr. Coppelius a bag of money, which placates him. Swanhilda and Franz are married and the entire town celebrates by dancing. (Note: In some Russian versions of the ballet, after getting caught, Swanhilda confesses to Dr. Coppelius about what she and her friends did and her situation with Franz. Coppelius decides to forgive Swanhilda and teach her how to act like a doll coming to life to fool Franz, thus ending Act 2 on a happier note.)

Corroboree

Ballet · 1950

Corroboree is a ballet written by Australian composer John Antill in the early 1940s. The first full version of the score was completed in 1944 and it was first performed as a concert suite in 1946. On 3 July 1950 it was performed as a ballet, at the Empire Theatre in Sydney, choreographed by Rex Reid, with dancers of the Melbourne-based National Theatre Ballet. Wildly successful and seen as a national "coming-of-age", the ballet was performed again with new choreography by American-born dancer, choreographer and writer Beth Dean in 1954. Notably, Dean and her Australian husband, Victor Carell, had spent several months in remote outback Australia researching Aboriginal ceremonies, costumes and dance, upon which Dean's version was based. In this first production, Dean danced the role of the Initiate herself. Many of the costumes and props for this version of the ballet are held by the National Museum of Australia.

Dance Panels

Ballet · 1963

Dance Panels is a ballet composed by Aaron Copland in 1959 for a planned collaboration with choreographer Jerome Robbins. After Copland had written the score, Robbins reneged on his commitment and the performance did not take place. Three years later, Copland revised the score for a ballet by the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany, where it premiered on 3 December 1963. The ballet was performed by the New York City Ballet in 1965 and the concert version received its first performance at the Ojai Music Festival the following year. According to Copland biographer Howard Pollack, Dance Panels has proven from a musical standpoint one of the composer's more accessible late scores. While some of its more dissonant moments sound similar to Copland's twelve-tone compositions, other parts recall his earlier stage and screen music. It is also the only one of Copland's six ballets not written to a specific program.

Daphnis et Chloé

Ballet · 1912

Daphnis et Chloé (1906–1912) is a ballet and orchestral concert work subtitled symphonie chorégraphique (choreographic symphony), for orchestra and wordless chorus by Maurice Ravel. It is in three main sections, or parties, and a dozen scenes, most of them dances, and lasts just under an hour, making it the composer's longest work. It premiered as a ballet, but it is more frequently given as a concert work, either complete or excerpted. The dance scenario was adapted by choreographer Michel Fokine from a pastoral romance by the Greek writer Longus thought to date from the 2nd century AD, recounting the love between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé. Scott Goddard in 1926 published a commentary on the changes to the story Fokine had to apply in order to make the scenario workable.

Deaths and Entrances

Ballet · 1943

Deaths and Entrances is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham performed to music by Hunter Johnson. Arch Lauterer created the original set; Edythe Gilfond designed the costumes. The ballet was well-received from the first performance despite being labeled as one of Graham's most personal, least accessible works. Oscar de la Renta created new costumes for the ballet's 2005 revival. The piece premiered on July 18, 1943, at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. The first performance was an informal preview for which the dancers wore practice clothes although the set was in place.

Die Vogelscheuchen

Ballet · 1970

Scene: In the Garden Since birds invaded the garden, the gardener is terrified they might destroy his beautiful work. His daughter shows no understanding for her father's anger. When the gardener chases the birds away, the girl brings them back. As a last resort, he builds a scarecrow. After placing it in the garden, it comes to life and pretends to be the prefect. The birds fear him and stay away from the garden, which makes the gardener happy. But when the scarecrow falls in love with his daughter, he becomes worried. Finally, the prefect persuades the girl to accompany him to the world of the scarecrows. Scene: World of the Scarecrows The abbess, the grenadier, and the Hallelujah Scarecrows give the girl and her lover a warm welcome. Then, the individual groups are introduced to her: the headless knights, the epileptic nuns, the grenadiers, and the uniformed men. All the scarecrows want the young lady to soon learn their secret language so that she can become one of their own. The wedding of the prefect and his sweetheart is immediately set in motion. As the procession turns into a leaping dance, the girl, who has grown frightened by the entire spectacle, manages to escape. Scene: In the garden The father refuses his daughter entry into the house. The girl collapses in despair. Only when the scarecrows approach to bring the runaway back to their realm does the father reconsider. In his attempt to rescue his daughter, he is attacked by the birds. With difficulty, he manages to drive them off; but in the end, he discovers that he himself has become a scarecrow.

Divertimento No. 15

Ballet · 1956

Divertimento No. 15 is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Mozart's eponymous music. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet. Balanchine first choreographed the score in 1952, for a ballet titled Caracole. In 1956, he planned to revive Caracole for a celebration of Mozart's bicentenary but made a new ballet to the same music instead. Divertimento No. 15 premiered on May 31, 1956, at the American Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Connecticut.

Dolorosa

Ballet · 1931

Dolorosa is a modern dance solo choreographed by Martha Graham to music by Heitor Villa-Lobos. The work premiered on February 2, 1931, at New York's Craig Theatre. Dolorosa sometimes appeared in program notes with the subtitle from Primitive Cycle or from Primitive Cycle-Dance of Sorrow II. The ballet is one of a group of dances inspired by Graham's visits to New Mexico. Her fascination with Native American religious rituals was also explored in El Penitente, Incantation, and Primitive Mysteries. Some sources suggest Dolorosa is based on the theme of the Mater Dolorosa, familiar subject matter for the choreographer. Little else is known about the piece. Graham disliked revivals of her work, forbade notation of her dances and thought they could not be successfully filmed.

Don Quixote

Ballet · 1869

In a Barcelona marketplace, Kitri meets her lover Basilio, but her father Lorenzo accepts a proposal from Gamache. The lovers flee; Don Quixote and Sancho pursue them through gypsy encampments, a puppet theatre, windmills, and Don Quixote's dream of Dulcinea. When Basilio feigns suicide to avoid the unwanted marriage, Lorenzo relents and the lovers wed. In the 1869 version, Don Quixote later loses a duel to the Knight of the Silver Moon and sets out for home with Sancho.

Edward II

Ballet · 1995

Edward II is a ballet in two acts, with music by the English composer John McCabe. Commissioned by Stuttgart Ballet, with a narrative conceived by choreographer David Bintley, the ballet largely follows the plot of Christopher Marlowe's play of the same name, rather than the life of the real Edward. Bintley incorporates elements of the 14th century satire Roman de Fauvel with the character of Edward, replacing that of the ass Fauvel, Piers Gaveston as the Fool, and Queen Isabella as the Virgin. As such, the narrative depicts the self-obsessed sexual relationships of the three main characters with the increasing civil unrest in the country as a backdrop. Although McCabe's score uses motifs associated with music of medieval times, the treatment is modern, with the orchestra including a large battery of percussion as well as a celesta and electric guitar. The ballet was premiered in Stuttgart on 15 April 1995. The UK première was given by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 9 October 1997. The score was recorded by Hyperion Records in 1999, with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Barry Wordsworth.

Edward Scissorhands

Ballet · 2005

The work "tells the gothic story of a boy, created by an eccentric inventor, trying to adapt to suburban life with only scissors for hands." The dance version is set in the 1950s, unlike the 1990 film, which was set in the late 1980s. The piece has no spoken words. Like in the film, Edward is equipped with only scissors for hands because his inventor died in the middle of outfitting him. He is discovered in his castle by an Avon lady who brings him into her home. He then wanders into a town where a family takes him in. The theatrical adaptation has a more robust prologue than the film, but the additional backstory does not add content to the character.

El amor brujo

Ballet · 1925

The ballet version premiered in Paris in 1925, following the original staged gitaneria of 1915. El amor brujo is the story of an Andalusian gypsy woman called Candela. Although her affection is for a man named Carmelo, as a girl she was promised to be married to another man (then a boy). After many years Candela's husband has died (at the hands of the husband of a woman named Lucia), but he continues to haunt his wife. The entire village knows about the haunting, but still brands Candela as crazy because she dances every night with her husband’s ghost ("Danza del terror"). Candela, now a widow, is free to establish a relationship with Carmelo, but continues to be haunted by her husband's ghost. After a conversation with other women of the village, Candela finally comes to realise that her husband was unfaithful to her, despite all her efforts to make their marriage work; her husband's lover is revealed to have been Lucia. Candela and Carmelo get advice that a ritual dance is necessary to cast the ghost off ("Danza ritual del fuego"), but it does not work. The ghost is still obsessed with Candela's soul. Candela manages to trick Lucía to come that night, with the excuse of hooking her up with Carmelo. As she turns up, the nightly ritual of Candela's dance with her husband's ghost begins, but at the last moment Candela moves away from her husband and Lucía is taken away by her now dead lover ("Danza del juego de amor"). Dawn breaks, Candela and Carmelo are now truly free to enjoy their love.

Episodes

Ballet · 1959

Episodes is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham and George Balanchine, to compositions by Anton Webern. The ballet was a co-production between the Martha Graham Dance Company and Balanchine's New York City Ballet (NYCB). Though it was conceived to be a collaboration between Graham and Balanchine, leading choreographers in modern dance and neoclassical ballet respectively, they ultimately worked separately on the ballet's two halves. Episodes I was choreographed by Graham, for dancers from her company and four NYCB members, and depicts Mary, Queen of Scots remembering the events in her life before her execution. Episodes II, by Balanchine, is completely plotless, and made for members of the NYCB and Graham dancer Paul Taylor, who originated a solo. The ballet uses all seven orchestral compositions by Webern. Episodes premiered on May 14, 1959, at the City Center of Music and Dance. Starting in 1960, Balanchine's section is presented as a standalone piece, with Taylor's solo removed the following year. Since then, Balanchine's Episodes had been revived by both NYCB and other ballet companies, with Taylor's solo performed in a few rare instances. The complete Episodes has not been seen in full since 1959, and the Graham section had only been revived once, in 1980, with the choreography significantly revised.

Errand into the Maze

Ballet · 1947

The original program notes describe the action as "that errand-journey into the maze of the heart to face and do battle with the Creature of Fear". Barely fifteen minutes in length, Errand into the Maze is designed almost as a solo work, with the bull-horned, staff (bone)-carrying Creature of Fear serving more as a prop than an active participant. The unnamed female protagonist weaves her way through a rope maze outlined on the stage to arrive at a set (originally by Isamu Noguchi) that includes a suggestive v-shaped wooden frame (like a tree, or a woman's crotch). She is confronted three times by the creature, ultimately overpowering him. He drops the bone/staff as he sinks to the floor in surrender. The heroine dances in the void between the two vertical set elements as the curtain falls.

Estancia (Ginastera)

Ballet · 1952

Estancia (Op. 8) is the second ballet composed by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera premiered in 1952 commissioned by American writer Lincoln Kirstein. Ginastera took inspiration for the ballet's plot from the epic Martin Fierro by Argentine writer José Hernández, incorporating the nationalist themes and language into his musical score. The ballet was created the same year the composer had made his acquaintance with American composer Aaron Copland. The ballet began its life as a four-part orchestral suite in 1941 before being turned in a one-act ballet. The ballet form is approximately one-half hour in length and tells the story of the love between a boy living in the city and the daughter of a rancher. The girl finds the boy lacking in courage when compared to the gauchos. However, by the end of the ballet, he wins her over by outdancing the gauchos in a competition.

Every Soul Is a Circus

Ballet · 1939

Every Soul Is a Circus is a comedic ballet choreographed by Martha Graham. The dance premiered on December 27, 1939, at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The original score was composed by Paul Nordoff. Philip Stapp created the set. Edythe Gilfond designed the costumes. The production marked the first appearance of Merce Cunningham with the Martha Graham Dance Company. The troupe still performs the work on occasion. It was last reprised for the 85th anniversary season in 2012.

Everywhere We Go

Ballet · 2014

Everywhere We Go is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck and scored by Sufjan Stevens. The ballet is plotless, danced by a cast of 25 and features nine sections. This is the second collaboration between Peck and Stevens, following Year of the Rabbit (2012). Everywhere We Go was created for the New York City Ballet (NYCB), and premiered on May 8, 2014, at the David H. Koch Theater, during NYCB's spring gala. The success of the ballet led to Peck's appointment as resident choreographer of NYCB, as the second person to hold the position.

Fall River Legend

Ballet · 1948

Fall River Legend is a ballet by American choreographer Agnes de Mille, with music by Morton Gould. Set in Massachusetts in 1892-1893, the ballet tells the infamous story of Lizzie Borden. The work notably alters the outcome of the court case, with Borden receiving a guilty verdict rather than an acquittal. De Mille herself believed that Borden was guilty of the murder of her father and stepmother. Like the majority of de Mille’s ballets, Fall River Legend is deeply character driven. The ballet was commissioned by American Ballet Theatre and premiered on April 22, 1948 at the Metropolitan Opera House. Today, Fall River Legend is considered by many scholars to be her masterpiece and when it first premiered, the reviews of the ballet were generally positive.

Faust ballets

Ballet · 1895

Faust ballets are a set of ballets, choreographed between the 18th and 20th centuries, based on the legend of Faust. As early as 1723, London-based John Rich put on a Faust-inspired ballet pantomime called The Necromancer at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. In the 19th century several productions took Faust as their subject matter including August Bournonvilles 1832 production Faust for the Royal Danish Ballet. In 1833, Andre Deshayes Faust premiered in London with music by Adolphe Adam. On 12 February 1848, a Faust ballet premiered at the Ballet of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. This version featured choreography and libretto by Jules Perrot and music by Giacomo Panizza, Michael Andrew Costa, and Niccolò Bajetti, with Fanny Elssler (as Marguerite), Perrot (as Mephistophelis), Effisio Catte (as Faust), and Ekaterina Costantini (as Bambo, Queen of the Demons). Perrot revived the ballet three times between 1848 and 1854, the last featuring a revised score by Cesare Pugni. In 1867, Marius Petipa revived this version again for the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, using the revised Pugni score. In 1852 Paul Taglioni, brother of Maria Taglioni (the first ballerina to dance en pointe), choreographed Satanella oder Metamorphosen with music by composed by Peter Ludwig Hertel. A few years later, Julius Reisingers Mephistophelia premiered in Hamburg and Meyer Lutz composed the score for Joseph Lanners 1895 production. The trend continued into the 20th century with ballets created by Remislav Remislavsky, Heiner Luipart and female choreographer Nina Kirsanova based on an unstaged 19th century libretto Der Doktor Faust, written by Heinrich Heine. Romantic composer Berliozs La Damnation de Faust was staged by French choreographer Maurice Béjart for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1964). Béjarts 1975 production Notre Faust was set to Bachs B minor Mass.

Façade

Ballet · 1931

Façade is a one-act ballet of seven to ten divertissements, described by the ballet critic Debra Crane as "choreographic satires on popular dance forms and their dancers". There is no plot. The numbers as danced in the original production are: Scotch Rhapsody Jodelling Song Polka Valse Popular Song Tango-Pasodoble Finale – Tarantella Sevillana. Ashton revised the ballet over the years. "Country Dance" was added in 1935 and "Noche Espagnola" and "Foxtrot" were added in 1940.

Fiametta

Ballet · 1863

Fiametta is a fantastic creature, produced by Cupid from the flame of love, who took the form of an earthly girl in order to charm Count Sterngold and prevent him from marrying a rich bride Regonda for self-interest. Cupid, with the help of Fiametta, reunites Regonda and officer Otto, who love each other. The action, which began on Olympus, was transferred to Tyrol. In an eclectic plot, a magical creature, mythological heroes, Tyrolean aristocrats and gypsies coexisted - the presence on the stage of fantastic as well as real characters from different layers of society allowed the choreographer to use both classical and characteristic dance. The reviewer Bocharov noted that the author “quite managed to reconcile the graceful pride of Greek mythological creatures with the un-ceremoniousness of some Tyrolean Count and the violent revelry of idle gypsies” (a few years later, a similar combination is used by Marius Petipa in his ballet Don Quixote). Cupid, god of love Fiametta Mercury Terpsichore Coquetry Count Friedrich Sterngold Ritter, his friend Molari, tutor and guardian of the Count Martini, servant of the count Princess Milfleur Regonda, her daughter Yolanda and Margarita, friends of Regonda Otto, officer Three graces, nymphs, cupids, muses, gypsies, Tyrolean villagers and villagers Scene I The goddesses of Olympus worship Cupid. Terpsichore, nymphs and other mythological creatures entertain the inhabitants of Olympus with dances. Mercury appears. He informs Cupid that a young man has appeared on earth, denying his power. Having squandered his fortune, he intends to marry a rich heiress who is in love with a brave officer and these lovers cry to the god of love, hoping for his protection. Cupid offers a view of Regonda and Otto on one side and a pavilion with the inscription "Temple closed to love", where he has fun, drinking wine and playing cards with friends, surrounded by gypsies, Count Sterngold - on the other. Cupid decides to punish the dissolute count and help the lovers. Having extinguished the altar with the flame of love, he reproduces Fiametta: endowed with magical beauty, she must take revenge on Sterngold for insulting Cupid. Scene II Sterngold estate in Tyrol. The count is still having fun in the pavilion. A shot is fired, followed by Cupid in the guise of a hunter. Young people and gypsies persuade him to join their company. Cupid brings Fiametta in the guise of a gypsy. When she starts dancing, she charms Sterngold.

Figure of a Saint

Ballet · 1929

Figure of a Saint was a modern dance solo choreographed by Martha Graham to the music of George Frideric Handel. The work premiered on January 24, 1929, at The Bennett School in Millbrook, New York. The all solo program also included: Valse Noble, Maid with the Flaxen Hair, Fragilite, In a Boat, Insincerities (Petulance, Remorse, Politeness, Vivacity), Tanagra (Gnossienne 1 and 2), Scherzo Waltz, Deux Valses Sentimentales, Prelude and La Cancion. Louis Horst accompanied Graham on piano.

Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan

Ballet · 1976

Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan is a ballet solo choreographed by Frederick Ashton to music by Johannes Brahms, inspired by Isadora Duncan and created for Lynn Seymour. The first version, under the title Brahms Waltz, used only Brahms' Op. 39, No. 15, and premiered on 22 June 1975, at the Hamburg State Opera. The expanded version, which featured more Brahms waltzes, premiered on 15 June 1976, during Ballet Rambert's 50th anniversary gala, at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, and is dedicated to Marie Rambert.

Five Movements, Three Repeats

Ballet · 2012

Five Movements, Three Repeats is a dance choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. It is set to music by Max Richter, including his mashup of "This Bitter Earth", written by Clyde Otis and sung by Dinah Washington. It premiered at the Vail International Dance Festival in Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail, Colorado, performed by Fang-Yi Sheu, Wendy Whelan, Tyler Angle and Craig Hall. The "This Bitter Earth" pas de deux is often performed separately from the rest of the piece.

Flames of Paris

Ballet · 1932

Flames of Paris or The Flames of Paris (Пла́мя Пари́жа) is a full-length ballet in four acts, choreographed by Vasily Vainonen with the stage director Sergei Radlov to music by Boris Asafyev based on songs of the French Revolution. The libretto by Nicolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev was adapted from a book by Felix Gras. It was premiered at the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad on 7 November 1932, with Natalia Dudinskaya as Mireille de Poitiers, Vakhtang Chabukiani as Jérôme, Olga Jordan as Jeanne, Nina Anisimova as Thérèse, and Konstantin Sergeyev as Mistral. The Bolshoi Ballet premiered the full work on 6 July 1933 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, with Aleksey Yermolayev (Jérôme), Anastasia Abramova (Jeanne), Nadezhda Kapustina (Thérèse) and Marina Semenova (Mireille de Poitiers). The conductor was Yuri Fayer. A new production (using some of the original choreography) was staged in 2008 by Alexei Ratmansky for the Bolshoi Ballet and is available on DVD with Ivan Vasiliev and Natalia Osipova. In 2013 a three-act reconstruction of the Vainonen ballet was staged by Mikhail Messerer for St Petersburg's Mikhailovsky Theatre. It is based on a 1947 version done by Vainonen for the Bolshoi.

Flight Pattern

Ballet · 2017

Flight Pattern is a contemporary ballet choreographed by Crystal Pite, set to the first movement of Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3. It premiered at the Royal Opera House, London, on 16 March 2017, making Pite the first woman to choreograph for the Royal Ballet's main stage in 18 years. The ballet won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2018. Flight Pattern examines the plight of refugees, drawing inspiration from 20th and 21st-century events, particularly the refugee crisis caused by the Syrian civil war. The ballet starts with 36 dancers performing on stage and becomes a series of duets and solos originated by the dancers Marcelino Sambé and Kristen McNally. The piece was mostly positively reviewed by critics, with many praising the performance of the two soloists and the choreography of the ensemble. In 2022, Pite expanded the ballet into Light of Passage, with Flight Pattern becoming the first part of the ballet. The narrative is non-linear and the movement uses lines created by the dancers' bodies and formations of queues to create tension on stage.

Florida

Ballet · 1866

Florida is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, with libretto and choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Cesare Pugni. The work was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre on January 10/22 (Julian/Gregorian calendar dates), 1866, in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa as Florida. John Philip Sousa included a suite from Pugni's score for Florida in his band's repertory, as well as the Grand Ballet Suite from Pugni's score for Petipa's The Pharaoh's Daughter.

Flower Festival in Genzano

Ballet · 1858

The Flower Festival in Genzano (Blomsterfesten i Genzano) is a one-act ballet by Danish choreographer and ballet master August Bournonville (1805–1879). Bournonville created the work for Denmark's Royal Ballet on December 19, 1858, at the Royal Danish Theatre, on the basis of Danes' general enthusiasm for Italy. The libretto, which is adapted from a tale in Impressions de voyage by Alexandre Dumas, tells the story of a pair of young lovers, Rosa and Paolo, which alludes to the festival still celebrated each June in Genzano, Italy. The music is by Edvard Helsted and Holger Simon Paulli. Bournonville was a dancer, choreographer, ballet teacher and director. He was son of the dancer and French ballet master Antoine Bournonville, who was a disciple of the great Noverre. Auguste was born in Copenhagen in 1805, studied with his father, and completed his training in France—with Vestris, the last virtuoso of the French classical style—before becoming a star of the Paris opera. Bournonville's contributions to the development of romantic ballet, in the course of his long reign as head of the Royal Danish Ballet, far outweighed French influence. He created an entire balletic school and style, including a repertoire of more than 50 ballets, most noted for their strong characters, naturalistic (vs. exaggerated) movement, and exotic locales.

Franca Florio, regina di Palermo

Ballet · 2007

Franca Florio, regina di Palermo is a full-length narrative ballet in two acts, with music by Lorenzo Ferrero and scenario, choreography and staging by Luciano Cannito. A commission by the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, the work premiered there on 22 November 2007 with Carla Fracci in the title role, and was restaged in June 2010. Set in Sicily, the story is based on the life of Franca Jacona Notarbartolo di San Giuliano (1873-1950), a famous Sicilian aristocrat whose beauty inspired many artists, musicians, and poets during the Belle Époque, who retraces the highlights of her life from her retreat on the island of Favignana. Her past is explored chronologically, by means of extensive flashbacks of events. Florio's story, replete with worldly success but also with tragic events, is in part the metaphor of the failure of the industrial development in Sicily at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Friandises

Ballet · 2006

Friandises is a ballet in five movements written by the American composer Christopher Rouse and originally choreographed by Peter Martins. The score was jointly commissioned by the New York City Ballet and the Juilliard School and was completed in September 2005. It was first performed by the New York City Ballet February 10, 2006 at the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center, New York City. The title of the piece loosely translates in the French language to "bits" or "morsels".

Frizak the Barber

Ballet · 1879

Frizak the Barber (The Barber or Frizak or The Double Wedding) is a comic ballet in one act, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music adapted by Ludwig Minkus from themes derived from Italian opera (from the works of Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giuseppe Verdi, Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini). The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on March 11/23 (Julian/Gregorian calendar dates) 1879 at the Imperial Bolshoi Kammeny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The principal dancers at the première included Mariia Gorshenkova and Pavel Gerdt.

Frontier

Ballet · 1935

Frontier is a solo dance choreographed by Martha Graham to music by Louis Horst. The set was designed by Isamu Noguchi; Graham created the costume. The work began as an ensemble piece, Perspectives: Frontier and Marching Song also known as Frontiers (Perspective No. 1) and Frontier. The ballet's Marching Song portion was set to music by Lehman Engle. The work premiered on April 28, 1935, at the Guild Theatre in New York City. By the end of 1935, Graham was performing Frontier exclusively as a solo. The piece was the first of her works to explore American identity through an archetypal character.

Gayane

Ballet · 1942

Many themes of interethnic love, betrayal and friendship interact in an Armenian setting. The central character is a young woman named Gayane, who works in a kolkhoz in a mountainous district near the national border. Act I In the Armenian kolkhoz, farmers are busy reaping cotton. Among them are heroine Gayane, her father Hovhannes, brother Armen and younger sister Nune. They are all models of hard work with the only exception of Gayane's husband Giko, a lazy drunkard. She admonishes Giko for his misconduct and this escalates into a quarrel. Then arrives Kazakov, commander of the Soviet frontier guard, and a dance of welcome begins. Seeing Gayane present a bouquet to Kazakov, Giko violently snatches the bouquet from her and ignoring everybody's reproach, disappears. Act II At Gayane's home, people console Gayane who is deploring her husband's misconduct. The singing voices of carpet weavers are heard. As Giko returns, all go out. Gayane sings her child Ripsime to sleep. Three smugglers come to see Giko. They conspire to share the public money they have embezzled, to set fire to the cotton warehouse and to flee abroad. Overhearing their conspiracy, Gayane admonishes her husband, but he thrusts her into another room and locks her up. Act III At a Kurdish settlement in a mountainous area near the kolkhoz are many people, including Gayane's brother Armen, a Kurdish girl Aishe, and a Kurdish young man Izmail who loves her. Giko and the three smugglers arrive, asking Armen their way. Wondering about their intentions and activity, he sends some Kurdish youths to fetch Kazakov. Noticing this, Giko and his gang try to kill Armen, but Kazakov appears just in time and arrests the three smugglers. Giko escapes, however, and sets fire to the cotton warehouse. Trying to flee in the confusion of the moment, Giko is found by Gayane, who has managed to break out of the room in which she was imprisoned. Giko threatens Gayane that he will drop their child Ripsime from a cliff. As Gayane does not yield, Giko stabs her with a dagger. Hearing her shriek, Kazakov rushes in and arrests Giko, who will be brought to justice. Kazakov tends Gayane devotedly, and she recovers. Love grows between the two. Act IV A year later, at the kolkhoz, a dedication ceremony of the reconstructed warehouse occurs, as well as three weddings: Gayane and Kazakov, Armen and Aishe, Karen and Nune. Folk dances, rich in local color, are performed one after another. The ballet ends amid blessings by all.

Gaîté Parisienne

Ballet · 1938

Performed in one act, the ballet does not have a conventional narrative. Instead, it depicts the amorous flirtations, convivial dancing, and high spirits of a diverse group of people who patronize a fashionable Paris café one evening during the period of the Second Empire (1851–1870). Members of various social classes are among the participants. As the curtain opens, four waiters and four cleaning women are preparing the room for the evening's entertainment. They dance a merry dance before the doors are opened to the public. The first to arrive is a pretty Flower Girl, who has come to sell her nosegays to the customers. She dances happily with the waiters, flouncing her skirts and petticoats, as the charladies depart. Next to enter is a gaggle of six cocodettes, flighty young women of questionable virtue, with three billiards players as their escorts. The group dances about the room in a rousing mazurka. At its conclusion, a glamorous Glove Seller appears in the doorway and waltzes into the room, charming everyone there. A change of music announces the arrival of a wealthy Peruvian tourist, who enters in a state of high excitement. Bearing two carpetbags, he is so eager to join the Parisian nightlife that he has not stopped to deposit his luggage. The cocodettes are interested in him, and in his apparent wealth, but he is attracted to the Glove Seller. Next, to the strains of a swelling waltz, a handsome Baron enters. He is welcomed by the Flower Girl, but he is immediately captivated by the Glove Seller. When they dance together, they seem to form a perfect partnership. Drum beats and march music then signal the arrival of an Officer and a platoon of soldiers. On the lookout for girls, the soldiers engage the cocodettes and the Flower Girl in another dance. Suddenly, a fashionable society beauty, a courtesan known as La Lionne, arrives, accompanied by her escort, a Duke, and a companion, the Lady in Green. The room is now filled with people seeking an evening's diversion, entertainment, and, possibly, amorous adventure. La Lionne, in a bright red ball gown, becomes the center of attraction. She vies for the attention of the Officer, who flirts with the Glove Seller, who contrives to make the Baron jealous by pretending to respond to the attention of the Peruvian. The Duke is disconcerted by the behavior of La Lionne, but he is also interested in the Glove Seller, and he joins the Officer, the Baron, and the Peruvian in wooing her in a vivacious pas de cinq, lifting her high above their heads and exposing her pretty legs. A quarrel develops among the four men and a fight breaks out. The Baron and the Glove Seller escape the mêlée, but almost everyone else joins in. After order is restored and everyone has left the room, the Baron and the Glove Seller return and dance an exuberant, romantic waltz, with aerial lifts and swooping turns. At its conclusion, a troupe of can-can dancers enters, led by a Dancing Master. They dance a lively can-can with the traditional high kicks, dizzying spins, whirling turns, and much display of ruffled skirts, black garters, and frothy white underthings. At the height of the ensuing merriment, everyone joins in a boisterous ballabile. Thereafter, the mood softens; the lights dim, and to the strains of a gentle barcarole, everyone prepares to leave. Some of the guests pair off. La Lionne departs with the Officer, the Flower Girl leaves with the Duke, and others slowly drift out into the night. The Peruvian returns, expecting to find the Glove Seller waiting for him. Instead, he discovers her and the Baron in a passionate embrace. From the dusky doorway, they wave farewell to him as he is left alone in a spotlight, slumped over, drained of energy, disappointed by the outcome of the evening. The curtain closes.

Gorda

Ballet · 1949

Young sculptor Gorda carves into the rock image of the secretly beloved princess. Girls are running in, noblewoman Javara among them, insanely in love with Gorda. She is certain that sculptor creates a portrait of her. Sound of the horn: the king and his daughter Irema are hunting. Princess is gloomy as eagle caught her best falcon. None of the royal retinue could manage to free predator. Only Gorda succeeded. Irema catches a sight of her image at the rock. Princess falls in love at first sight with young man and presents him rescued falcon. Nobleman Mamia is in love with Irema and envies the success of rival. The king, admired with the agility of a young man invites participants of the hunt to royal palace. Javara who witnessed Gorda and Irema's meeting, gets suspicious, and recognizes princess in Gorda's sculpture. Desperate Javara declares her love to Gorda. In a state of jealousy Javara kills falcon presented by Irema. Indignant Gorda leaves. Life has lost its meaning for her. She is only driven by power of revenge. Javara raises the murdered eagle and takes arrow out of its chest. She vows revenge for her rejected love. Feast takes place at royal palace, where Gorda is present as well. Confrontation between Gorda and Mamia is vivid in their dance. Irema stands in the middle and sets them apart. Feast is interrupted by the appearance of the Eastern ambassadors. Khalif requires marrying the only daughter of the king - Irema. Enraged king sends refusal letter to Khalif. The best shooter- Gorda must take the king's response to the eastern masters. Irema in sadness sees off Gorda in a dangerous journey and presents her amulet. Fest at Khalif's palace. He is looking forward to getting news from Georgia. Georgian ambassadors are escorted to palace. Gorda delivers king's rejection. Furious Khalif, orders to behead the ambassadors. In an unequal battle Georgians get killed. The only left alive is Gorda, who kills Khalif and dives into the sea. After tough and exhausting path, Gorda notices familiar monastery and realizes he is at homeland. Time has passed. Gorda and Irema live happily together with their son-Badri. But suddenly they are informed about sad news-it is the third time that fortress is crumbling, which serves the only bulwark against the invasion of foreign intruders. The king sends Gorda and Mamia to renowned prophetess for an advice. Oracle turns out to be Javara who recognizes the loved one. Javara is delighted as the revenge has come. She gives Mamia an arrow (which struck eagle). "The only way to build indestructible fortress is to immure son of the owner of the arrow in the wall" – says the oracle. Mamia leaves, Javara stops Gorda, who did not recognize her, and reminds about herself. King commands to examine the arrow. Arrow turns out to belong to Gorda. Badri's parents are in despair. Meanwhile, intruders invaded the country. Gorda leaves for battle. People demand conformation with Javara's prophecy. Javara grabs away son from Irema and heads to fortress to immure him. Gorda hits an enemy commander. Defeated enemy gives up. Gorda's bravery delivers homeland from danger and rescues Badri from death sentence.

Graduation Ball

Ballet · 1940

The curtain opens to reveal a formal drawing room. Soon, groups of Junior and Senior Girls enter to inspect the premises and begin excitedly to prepare for the ball. The Headmistress comes to make sure that all is in order. The Old General arrives, leading a platoon of cadets. At first the cadets and the girls are timid, standing apart, but the Pigtail Girl breaks the ice, and the young people soon begin to dance with each other. The Mistress of Ceremony introduces the divertissements, which are interrupted by an "Impromptu Dance" by the Pigtail Girl. When the entertainment has concluded, the Headmistress sends her students and the cadets off stage, to have dinner. While they are gone, the Headmistress and the Old General dance a "Mazurka Flirtation," revealing their attraction. The young people enter and are delighted to find the elderly couple embracing. Everyone dances a high-spirited galop, bringing the evening to a grand finale. The ball is over. Everyone leaves. After the ballroom has emptied, the Pigtail Girl and one of the Junior Cadets sneak back in to see each other again. The Old General and the Headmistress have also re-entered to see each other, but their assignation is spoiled when they see the young couple. Thereupon, the cadet is led out by the ear and the Pigtail Girl is spanked off stage. The curtain closes.

Harlequinade (Graham)

Ballet · 1930

Harlequinade was divided into two sections, Pessimist and Optimist. The biting portrait of the Pessimist and subtle portrayal of the Optimist were intended as symbols of all the tragedy and comedy in the world. The accompanying orchestra consisted of flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, drums and voice. As with much of her early work, little is known about the choreography. Barbara Morgan's photographs of Graham dancing in the Harlequinade costumes are virtually all that is known about the piece. The two outfits were also described in The Christian Science Monitors 1938 review of a Boston performance. "Here the artist's own costuming - horizontal stripes for the former, billowing black taffeta, with a large red property handkerchief, for the latter, are punctuation marks."

Harnasie

Ballet · 1935

Harnasie, Op. 55, is a ballet-pantomime written by the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski between 1923 and 1931, to a libretto by Jerzy Rytard and his wife and Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, the librettist of Szymanowski's opera, King Roger. The story is set in the Tatra Mountains and is based on the legend of the abduction of a bride by the robber Harnaś and his band (the "Harnasie" of the title). Szymanowski first visited Zakopane in the Tatras in 1921 and studied the music and folklore of the Gorals people. The score makes extensive use of folk-song and employs a choir with tenor solo. The ballet comprises two acts, preceded by a prelude. There are only three principal characters: a shepherd, a girl and the robber (Harnaś). In the first scene, the shepherd is driving his sheep to pasture and the girl encounters Harnaś. In the second scene, Harnaś kidnaps the girl from her wedding. The third scene, in the robber's den, concludes in an epilogue with a lively dance. The ballet was first performed on 11 May 1935 at Národní Divadlo in Prague in a choreography by Jelizaveta Nikolská, a second production, choreographed by Serge Lifar followed on 27 April 1936 at Palais Garnier in Paris. There it proved an exceptional success for Szymanowski nearly a year before his death. The Polish premiere took place at Teatr Wielki in Poznań on 9 April 1938 in a choreography by Maksymilian Stakiewicz.

Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises

Ballet · 2013

The Sun Also Rises or Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises is a 2013 ballet adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises that was premiered by The Washington Ballet at The Kennedy Center under Artistic Director Septime Webre, whose parents had known Hemingway. It premiered from May 8 – 12, 2013. Webre had previously adapted The Great Gatsby and Alice in Wonderland to ballet. According to Emily Cary of The Washington Examiner, like the source, the plot is about "a group of American and British expatriates who meet in Paris and travel to Pamplona, Spain, to watch the running of the bulls and the bullfights." Clark notes that the production was inspired by one of Webre's friends who taught American literature at Yale University who suggested an adaptation.

Heretic

Ballet · 1929

Heretic is a modern dance work by Martha Graham performed to Tetus Breton, an old folk tune from Brittany. Louis Horst, Graham's musical director, recommended the song, part of the collection Chansons de la Fleur de Lys as arranged by Charles De Sivry. The dance premiered with the title Heretic at New York's Booth Theatre on April 14, 1929. In a previous program announcement, the work was called A Faith. Graham presented the piece with her company; the performance marked the debut of her concert ensemble. Heretic is staged for 13 female performers, 12 dressed in black tube-like garments and one in a long white dress. Dancers for the premiere were: Graham, as the woman in white, Kitty Reese, Louise Creston, Irene Emery, Ethel Rudy, Lillian Ray, Hortense Bunsick, Sylvia Wasserstrom, Mary Rivoire, Ruth White, Lillian Shapero, Virginia Briton, Sylvia Rosenstein, Evelyn Sabin, Betty Macdonald and Rosina Savelli.

Horizons

Ballet · 1936

Horizons was a modern dance work choreographed by Martha Graham to music by Louis Horst with a set designed by Alexander Calder. It premiered on February 23, 1936, at the Guild Theatre in New York City. Horizons was divided into four parts, two ensemble dances and two solos: Migration: New Trails (ensemble), Dominion: Sanctified Power (solo), Building Motif: Homesteading (solo) and Dance of Rejoycing (ensemble). The ballet was performed by Martha Graham and Group, the predecessor of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Imagined Wing

Ballet · 1944

Imagined Wing is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham to Jeux de Printemps by composer Darius Milhaud. The piece was first presented on October 30, 1944, in the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Costumes were designed by Edythe Gilfond; the set was created by Isamu Noguchi. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge commissioned the work, along with two other Graham dances, and musical scores for all three dances. Also on the program were Mirror Before Me set to music by Paul Hindemith (later renamed Herodiade) and Appalachian Spring performed to music by Aaron Copland. Imagined Wings initial showing was also its last. Following tepid reviews, the piece was never performed again.

Impressing the Czar

Ballet · 1988

Impressing the Czar is a four-act, award-winning, postmodern ballet choreographed by William Forsythe to music by Thom Willems, Leslie Stuck, Eva Crossman-Hecht, and Ludwig van Beethoven. It was premiered in its full-length version in 1988 in Frankfurt am Main by the Ballet Frankfurt. The work's title is a reference to the Czar Nicholas II's indifferent reception of Marius Petipa's lavish production of The Sleeping Beauty. Impressing the Czar has five sections titled "Potemkin's Signature," "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated," "La Maison de Mezzo Prezzo," "Bongo Bongo Nageela," and "Mr. Pnut Goes to the Big Top." Though the work has no continuous narrative theme, the ballet comments ironically and often humorously on the history of Western civilization and its economies of culture. The second section is the most well known. It is a stand-alone ballet titled "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated," which was originally created in 1987 for the Paris Opera Ballet, where it was danced by soloists Isabelle Guérin, Sylvie Guillem, Laurent Hilaire, and Manuel Legris. The title of this section refers to two cherries which hang suspended over the stage. One of Forsythe's most famous creations, this work is in the repertory of numerous ballet companies around the world. In 1992, its performance by the Royal Ballet Flanders received the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. The third section, "La Maison de Mezzo-Prezzo," features characters being auctioned off, clothed in gold, as a comment on the commoditization of the arts. The fourth section, "Bongo Bongo Nageela," is full of energy and bewitchment. A large group of dancer surround Mr. Pnut, whose name headlines the next act and who is portrayed as a Saint Sebastian-type character complete with an arrow in chest. Their circling motion is comparable to a type of folk dance, though not of any particular kind. "Mr. Pnut Goes to the Big Top" is the final section, bringing the ballet to a dramatic conclusion as the title character of the section blows a party favor toy and the lights go out.

In G Major

Ballet · 1975

In G Major (originally titled Concerto in G, also known as En Sol) is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major. Performed by a cast of fourteen, the ballet featured Broadway-inspired choreography. The ballet was created for the New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival, which celebrated the centenary of Ravel, and premiered on May 15, 1975, at the New York State Theater, with Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins originating the two lead roles.

Showing 97–216 of 673 shows

Load more shows