A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)
Encyclopedia
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a two-act ballet choreographed by George Balanchine
to Felix Mendelssohn
's incidental music
for Shakespeare's play of the same name
. In addition to the incidental music, Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet including Overtures to Athalie, Son and Stranger, and The Fair Melusine, Symphony No. 9 for Strings and The First Walpurgis Night. A Midsummer Night's Dream is Balanchine's first completely original full-length ballet, and premiered at New York City Ballet
on January 17, 1962 with Edward Villella
in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden
in the role of Titiana, and Arthur Mitchell
in the role of Puck. The ballet employs a large children's corps de ballet. Act I tells Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies while Act II presents a strictly classical dance wedding celebration. The ballet dispenses with Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale. A Midsummer Night's Dream opened The New York City Ballet's first season at the New York State Theater in April, 1964.
rôle:
first cast
second cast
rôle:
third cast
fourth cast
rôle:
fifth cast
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
to Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
's incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for Shakespeare's play of the same name
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
. In addition to the incidental music, Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet including Overtures to Athalie, Son and Stranger, and The Fair Melusine, Symphony No. 9 for Strings and The First Walpurgis Night. A Midsummer Night's Dream is Balanchine's first completely original full-length ballet, and premiered at New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
on January 17, 1962 with Edward Villella
Edward Villella
Edward Villella is an American ballet dancer and choreographer, frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer at the time....
in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden
Melissa Hayden (dancer)
Melissa Hayden was a Canadian ballerina at the New York City Ballet.-Early life:...
in the role of Titiana, and Arthur Mitchell
Arthur Mitchell (dancer)
Arthur Mitchell is an African-American dancer and choreographer who created a training school and the first African-American classical ballet company, Dance Theatre of Harlem...
in the role of Puck. The ballet employs a large children's corps de ballet. Act I tells Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies while Act II presents a strictly classical dance wedding celebration. The ballet dispenses with Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale. A Midsummer Night's Dream opened The New York City Ballet's first season at the New York State Theater in April, 1964.
original
- first cast
- Titania
- Oberon
- Puck
- Melissa HaydenMelissa Hayden (dancer)Melissa Hayden was a Canadian ballerina at the New York City Ballet.-Early life:...
- Edward VillellaEdward VillellaEdward Villella is an American ballet dancer and choreographer, frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer at the time....
- Arthur MitchellArthur Mitchell (dancer)Arthur Mitchell is an African-American dancer and choreographer who created a training school and the first African-American classical ballet company, Dance Theatre of Harlem...
2009 Spring
rôle:
- Titania
- Oberon
- Puck
- Hippolyta
- Theseus
- Titania’s Cavalier
- Helena
- Demetrius
- Hermia
- Lysander
- Butterfly
- Bottom
- divertissement
first cast
- Darci KistlerDarci KistlerDarci Kistler is a noted American ballerina. She is often said to be the last muse for legendary choreographer George Balanchine.-Biography:...
- Joaquín De LuzJoaquin de LuzJoaquín De Luz formerly with the American Ballet Theater , is currently a Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet .-Background:...
- Daniel Ulbricht
- Teresa Reichlen
- Ask la Cour
- Charles AskegardCharles AskegardCharles Askegard was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and began his dance training at the age of five with Loyce Houlton and the Minnesota Dance Theatre. He continued his studies in Minneapolis until the age of 16, spending one summer at the School of American Ballet in 1983Mr...
- Rebecca Krohn
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Jennie Somogyi
- Jonathan Stafford
- Erica Pereira first time in rôle
- Henry Seth
- Jenifer Ringer Jenifer Ringer replaced Wendy WhelanWendy WhelanWendy Whelan is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and guest artist with Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.-Early life:A native of Louisville, Kentucky , she began her dance training with local teacher Virginia Wooton at the age of three...
in the divertissementDivertissementDivertissement is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings....
. - Philip NealPhilip NealPhilip Neal was a principal dancer with New York City Ballet. He studied from age 11 at the Richmond Ballet School. After six years of study there, Edward Villella arranged a summer scholarship for him at NCYB's School of American Ballet...
second cast
- Maria KowroskiMaria KowroskiMaria Kowroski is a principal ballerina at the New York City Ballet.Ms. Kowroski's training in ballet began at the School ofthe Grand Rapids Ballet and subsequently the School of American Ballet in 1992; became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 1994 and joined the corps de ballet in 1995....
- Antonio Carmena
- Adam Hendrickson
- Ana Sophia Scheller
- Henry Seth
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
- Faye Arthurs
- Arch HigginsArch HigginsArch Higgins was a soloist with New York City Ballet. He began his study at eight years with Berkeley Ballet Theater with former City Ballet dancer Sally Streets. From 1982 he attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet which he entered full-time on scholarship four years later. He...
- Abi Stafford
- Andrew Veyette
- Alina Dronova
- Adrian Danchig-Waring
- Yvonne BorreeYvonne BorreeYvonne Borree is a former principal dancer at New York City Ballet and was raised in Norfolk, Virginia, where she began her dance studies with the Tidewater Ballet Association at four years of age....
- Sébastien Marcovici
rôle:
- Titania
- Oberon
- Puck
- Hippolyta
- Theseus
- Titania’s Cavalier
- Helena
- Demetrius
- Hermia
- Lysander
- Butterfly
- Bottom
- divertissement
third cast
- Teresa Reichlen
- Andrew Veyette
- Sean Suozzi
- Savannah Lowery
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
- Justin Peck
- Dena Abergel
- Ask la Cour
- Sterling Hyltin
- Robert Fairchild
- Brittany Pollack
- Henry Seth
- Jenifer Ringer
- Jared Angle
fourth cast
- Teresa Reichlen
- Gonzalo Garcia
- Troy Schumacher Troy Schumacher replaced Sean Suozzi in the rôle of PuckPuck (Shakespeare)Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave...
. - Savannah Lowery
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
- Justin Peck
- Dena Abergel;
- Ask la Cour
- Sterling Hyltin
- Robert Fairchild
- Brittany Pollack
- Henry Seth
- Janie Taylor
- Tyler Angle
rôle:
- Titania
- Oberon
- Puck
- Hippolyta
- Theseus
- Titania’s Cavalier
- Helena
- Demetrius
- Hermia
- Lysander
- Butterfly
- Bottom
- divertissement
fifth cast
- Teresa Reichlen
- Andrew Veyette
- Troy Schumacher
- Savannah Lowery
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
- Justin Peck
- Dena Abergel
- Ask la Cour
- Sterling Hyltin
- Robert Fairchild
- Brittany Pollack
- Henry Seth
- Jenifer Ringer
- Jared Angle
Other choreographers' interpretations
- Frederick AshtonFrederick AshtonSir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
(The Dream) - Christopher WheeldonChristopher WheeldonChristopher Wheeldon is an international choreographer of contemporary ballet. Born in Somerset, England, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dancer at the age of 8. He attended the Royal Ballet School between the ages of 11 and 18...
- Bruce Wells on the Boston BalletBoston BalletBoston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
- Ib AndersenIb AndersenIb Andersen is a Danish dancer and choreographer. He is currently the artistic director of Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona.Internationally admired as both a dancer and choreographer, Andersen’s contribution to the world of dance is the product of a journey through multiple influences...
on Ballet ArizonaBallet ArizonaBallet Arizona is a professional ballet company in Phoenix, Arizona directed by Ib Andersen. The company was created in 1986 by a merger of three smaller Arizonan dance companies that were struggling to survive... - David NixonDavid Nixon (choreographer)David Nixon OBE is a dance choreographer. Born in Chatham, Ontario, Nixon trained at the National Ballet School of Canada and danced with the National Ballet of Canada. He joined the Deutsche Oper Ballet, in Berlin, in 1985 as a principal dancer where he won the Critics Award for Best Male...
on BalletMet Columbus - John NeumeierJohn NeumeierJohn Neumeier is a well-known American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. He has been the director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet since 1973. 5 years later he founded the Hamburg Ballet School, which also includes a boarding school...
- François KlausFrançois KlausFrançois Klaus , is a ballet dancer and choreographer.He began dancing with the Geneva Ballet in Switzerland, continuing with the Stuttgart Ballet and later the Munich Ballet both under the direction of John Cranko becoming a principal dancer. Francois joined The Hamburg Ballet under the direction...
on the Queensland BalletQueensland BalletThe Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia, and is based in Brisbane.- About Queensland Ballet :...