386. Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir 1974
Sonority by Pierre Henry (14 of 25 numbers from Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir, first performed 1963)
George Balanchine
Scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Arutunian. Lighting by Ronald Bates
February 17, 1974, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater
Karin von Aroldingen, John Clifford
Performance Type
Ballet
Note
The ballet is a set of fourteen variations in pas de deux form, for a female ‘Door’ and a male ‘Sigh.’ The dancers’ movements are in precise accord with the separate sounds and vibrations that form the score. An integral part of the choreography is an enormous black cape attached to the ‘Door,’ which in the end envelops the ‘Sigh.’

1986   Ballet du Nord (France)
1993   Ballet du Nord (France)