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
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
273. Sylvia: Pas de Deux 1950
Music
Léo Delibes (from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, produced 1876 [Act I VALSE LENTE and Act III pas de deux])
Choreography
George Balanchine
Production
Costumes by Karinska
Premiere
December 1, 1950, New York City Ballet, City Center of Music and Drama, New York. Conductor: Leon Barzin
Cast
Maria Tallchief, Nicholas Magallanes
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
36. Pizzicato Polka, 350. Pas de Deux and Divertissement, 387. Coppélia
George Balanchine Foundation Interpreters Archive (ballerina solo), 1997
Note
A grand pas de deux in the French style, with entrée, adagio, two solos, and coda. In 1965, incorporated (with minor changes) into Pas de Deux and Divertissement [350], choreographed for the New York City Ballet. The male variation is reproduced in the Balanchine-Danilova Coppélia [387], Act III (PEACE pas de deux).
1958 Eglevsky Ballet Company
1963 National Ballet (Washington, D.C. 1963-74)
1965 American Ballet Theatre
1967 Den Norske Opera [Ballet] (Norway)
1968 Harkness Ballet (1964-70)
1979 Royal Winnipeg Ballet
1980 Pennsylvania Ballet
1981 Matsuyama Ballet Company (Japan)
1987 Pacific Northwest Ballet
1988 Miami City Ballet
Recorded Performances
Videos/DVD
1999, Kultur, American Ballet Theatre at the Met [1984]
