Watch selections from the dance and interview below.
Watch as Joseph Gordon discusses the vast differences between the two central pas de deux in Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée,' and how a trusting partnership is essential to conveying the intended tenor of both.
An abstraction of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, Stravinsky's colorfully playful yet foreboding divertimento sets the stage for Balanchine's fleet-footed choreography.
In 1937 Balanchine choreographed the full-length ballet for his American Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House entitled The Fairy's Kiss (also known as Le Baiser de la Fée), and set to Stravinsky's score. For the 1972 Stravinsky Festival Balanchine created an entirely new work that used excerpts from the concert suite Stravinsky created in 1934. In 1974 Balanchine added a final movement to the ballet which is the version performed today as Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée.'
For tickets visit https://www.nycballet.com/discover/ballet-repertory/divertimento-from-le-baiser-de-la-fee/
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