Léo Delibes (Coppélia, ou la Fille aux Yeux d’Émail, produced 1870, with excerpts from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, produced 1876, and La Source [Naïla], 1866). Book by Charles Nuitter, after E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann (1815)
Choreography
Choreography by Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine after Marius Petipa (1884; revised 1894 by Lev Ivanov and Enrico Cecchetti), with additional choreography by George Balanchine
Production
Scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Arutunian. Costumes executed by Karinska and Barbara Matera, Ltd. Lighting by Ronald Bates
Premiere
July 17, 1974, New York City Ballet, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York. Conductor: Robert Irving. (First New York State Theater performance, with children from the School of American Ballet, November 20.)
Cast
Swanilda/Coppélia, Patricia McBride; Frantz, Helgi Tomasson; Dr. Coppélius, Shaun O’Brien. ACT I: The Doll Coppélia; Villagers, 8 couples; Mayor, Michael Arshansky; Swanilda’s Friends, 8 women. ACT II: Swanilda and Her Friends; The Automatons: Astrologer, Juggler, Acrobat, Chinaman. ACT III: Burgomaster; Villagers, Brides, Grooms, and Friends, 8 women, 6 men; DEDICATION OF THE BELLS: WALTZ OF THE GOLDEN HOURS: Marnee Morris, 24 children; Dawn, Merrill Ashley; Prayer, Christine Redpath; Spinner, Susan Hendl; Jesterettes, 4 women; DISCORD AND WAR: Colleen Neary, Robert Weiss, 8 couples; PEACE (pas de deux): McBride, Tomasson; FINALE
Act I. A Village Square in Galicia
Act II. Dr. Coppélius’s Secret Workshop
Act III. A Village Wedding and Festival of Bells
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
36. Pizzicato Polka, 266. [Pas de Deux], 273. Sylvia: Pas de Deux, 274. Music and Dance, 291. One, Yuletide Square, 350. Pas de Deux and Divertissement, 364. La Source
Balanchine and Danilova collaborated to reproduce parts of Petipa’s choreography for Coppélia, which they had learned while students at the Imperial Ballet School; Danilova had later become a leading interpreter of the role of Swanilda. Balanchine created entirely new choreography for Act III, and for the mazurka and czardas in Act I, and made slight revisions in other dances in Act I. Using music from Sylvia, Balanchine created a male variation for Act I and a complete pas de deux for Act III, in which the male variation is taken from his Sylvia: Pas de Deux [273]. The production was partially commissioned by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Additional Productions
Revisions
1974, New York City Ballet: Act III costumes altered before first New York performance and new children’s costumes designed by Karinska; coda added to Act III PEACE pas de deux.
Additional music information provided by Gordon Boelzner, Robert Irving; additional revisions information provided by Betty Cage, Arlene Croce, Nancy Goldner
364. La Source 1968
(briefly called PAS DE DEUX: LA SOURCE)
Music
Léo Delibes (excerpts from La Source [Naïla], 1866)
Choreography
George Balanchine
Production
Costumes by Karinska. Lighting by Ronald Bates
Premiere
November 23, 1968, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater. Conductor: Robert Irving
Cast
Violette Verdy, John Prinz
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
274. Music and Dance, 350. Pas de Deux and Divertissement, 387. Coppélia
Varying the conventional structure of a pas de deux, La Source begins with solos for the man and woman rather than a supported adagio.
Additional Productions
Revisions
1969, New York City Ballet: Expanded to include ALLEGRO VIVACE for female soloist and ensemble of 8 women, and VALSE DES FLEURS from Pas de Deux and Divertissement [350].
1971 Geneva Ballet (Grand Theatre de Geneve [Ballet])
1971 San Francisco Ballet
1982 Los Angeles Ballet
1988 Miami City Ballet
1994 Miami City Ballet
2000 Repertory Dance Theatre
2004 Alabama Dance Theatre
2005 Oregon Ballet Theatre
2005 Suzanne Farrell Ballet
2006 Miami City Ballet
2008 Boca Ballet Theater
2009 City Ballet of San Diego
2010 Suzanne Farrell Ballet
2012 Sofia National Ballet
2016 Miami City Ballet
2017 Pacific Northwest Ballet
350. Pas de Deux and Divertissement 1965
Music
Léo Delibes (excerpts from La Source [Naïla], 1866, and Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, 1876)
Choreography
George Balanchine. Staged by Frederic Franklin
Production
Costumes by Karinska. Lighting by David Hays
Premiere
January 14, 1965, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater. Conductor: Robert Irving
Cast
VALSE LENTE AND PAS DE DEUX: Melissa Hayden, André Prokovsky; ALLEGRO VIVACE: Suki Schorer, 8 women; VARIATION: Prokovsky; PIZZICATI: Hayden; VALSE DES FLEURS: Entire cast
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
36. Pizzicato Polka, *273. Sylvia: Pas de Deux, 274. Music and Dance, 364. La Source, 387. Coppélia
VALSE LENTE AND PAS DE DEUX was originally choreographed for the New York City Ballet in 1950, titled Sylvia: Pas de Deux [273]. In 1969, the ALLEGRO VIVACE and VALSE DES FLEURS were incorporated into La Source [364], choreographed for the New York City Ballet.
Structure of ballet and its relationship to Sylvia: Pas de Deux [273] and La Source [364] clarified by Arlene Croce, Melissa Hayden, Suki Schorer, Jacques d’Amboise
