Best Ballet

Mikhail Baryshnikov, known as 'Misha,' is widely regarded as the most technically perfect male dancer of the 20th century. His 1974 defection from the Soviet Union while on tour in Canada sparked a frenzy in the dance world. Baryshnikov's technique was breathtaking: his jumps defied gravity with see...

Appalachian Spring is a ballet composed by Aaron Copland in 1944 for choreographer Martha Graham. The original orchestration was for a thirteen-piece chamber ensemble. The score incorporates the Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts' and evokes a rural Pennsylvania setting. An orchestral suite drawn from the ba...

The Red Shoes is a 1948 British film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It centers on Victoria Page’s struggle with her artistic ambitions at Ballet Lermontov, alongside her romantic involvement with Julian Craster. The narrative draws upon Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale and inc...

"Waltz of the Flowers" is an orchestral piece from the second act of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet, The Nutcracker. Written in a standard triple meter, the composition serves as the grand finale to the ballet's land of sweets sequence. It features complex, sweeping melodies led by the strin...

Anna Pavlova was a celebrated Russian ballerina whose artistry redefined classical performance. Primarily known for her breathtaking interpretations of *Swan Lake*, particularly Odette/Odile, she became an international icon and inspiration for generations of dancers. Her performances influenced bal...

Mark Morris’s *Revelations* is a ballet deeply rooted in African American vernacular dance traditions. It powerfully explores spiritual themes through intricate choreography inspired by step dance and gospel music. The work showcases complex rhythmic patterns and dynamic partnering. *Revelations* is...

Swan Lake is a full-length ballet composed primarily by Tchaikovsky, featuring music and choreography largely attributed to Marius Petipa. The work tells a tragic narrative of Prince Siegfried’s love for Odette, a swan princess under an enchantment cast by the sorcerer Rothbart. It remains one of th...

The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, is a ballet scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with choreography by Marius Petipa. Premiering at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1890, the production is adapted from Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant." The composition is recognized...

The "Waltz of the Flowers" is an orchestral piece by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the second act of the 1892 ballet The Nutcracker. It accompanies a choreographed dance performed by the Flowers in the Land of Sweets, a setting visited by Clara and the Prince after their journey through the snow. Th...

The "Sleeping Beauty Waltz" is a famous orchestral piece from the 1890 ballet "The Sleeping Beauty," Op. 66, by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The piece serves as the grand finale of the ballet's first act, accompanying a royal court celebration. Characterized by its sweeping melodies an...

Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1876 for the ballet Swan Lake, this orchestral waltz is prominently featured in the first act's ballroom scene. The piece is characterized by its distinct Romantic melodies and complex orchestration, typical of 19th-century Russian ballet music. It is frequent...

The Sleeping Beauty Waltz is a major orchestral piece from the 1889 ballet The Sleeping Beauty, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Formally known as "The Garland Waltz," it opens the first act of the ballet, celebrating the christening of Princess Aurora with grand, sweeping Romantic melodies. Th...

Maya Plisetskaya was the fiery, iconic prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet for decades, renowned for her explosive technique, dramatic intensity, and breathtaking athleticism. Her career, spanning from the 1940s into the 1990s, was a testament to her powerful will and resilience within the Soviet...

Jooss’s *The Green Table* is a seminal work of expressionist ballet and Tanztheater created in 1912. It powerfully portrays the horrors of World War I through a static, emotionally intense scene centered around a single green table. The piece highlights the devastating impact of violence on ordinary...

*The Rite of Spring* is a ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky. First performed in 1913, it remains significant for its revolutionary approach to music and dance. The work depicts ancient pagan rituals through stark dissonant harmonies and intensely expressive move...

The Royal Opera House, located in Covent Garden, London, is a world-renowned venue for opera and ballet performances. Established in 1898, it houses both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet companies. It provides a significant stage for internationally acclaimed productions and training programs, p...

Swan Lake, Op. 20 is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's first ballet, composed between 1875 and 1876 and premiered at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1877 with choreography by Julius Reisinger. The initial production received mixed reception, but after Tchaikovsky's death, the 1895 revival choreographed by Mari...

Daphnis et Chloé is a ballet composed by Maurice Ravel between 1909 and 1912. Commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes, the work premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 1912 with choreography by Michel Fokine. Ravel described the piece as a symphonie chorégraphique, drawing o...

Tamara Karsavina was a celebrated ballerina whose influence shaped ballet performance throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her remarkable artistry and unparalleled technical skill were particularly notable within Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. She is remembered by dancers, scholars...

The Nutcracker, Op. 71 is an 1892 two-act classical ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with original choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The narrative is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," following a young girl who journeys into a magi...

Mark Morris’s *L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato* is a large-scale modern ballet choreographed to music by Handel. The work explores contrasting moods – joyous celebration, thoughtful reflection, and tranquil moderation – through intricate movement and expressive storytelling. It's notable for...

Balanchine’s *The Prodigal Son* is a ballet based on the biblical parable of Marya's return after years of exile. The work explores themes of repentance and familial reconciliation through dramatic choreography and Prokofiev’s evocative score. Featuring a significant violin part, it’s notable for it...

Jiří Kylián’s Café Müller, created in 1997, is a one-act ballet exploring themes of isolation and yearning. The work features a largely male company performing within a stark café environment inspired by the music of Henry Purcell and fragments from John Banville's *Georgio*. It is notable for its m...

Martha Graham’s choreography for Stravinsky’s *The Rite of Spring* is a landmark work in modern ballet. The piece, originally staged in 1923, presents a dramatic exploration of pagan sacrifice through intensely expressive movement and dissonant music. It remains notable for its revolutionary approac...

*The Sleeping Beauty* is a cornerstone of classical ballet choreography primarily attributed to Marius Petipa. This full-length narrative work tells the story of Princess Aurora’s enchanted sleep following a fairy curse. Notable for its complex partnering sequences and iconic Rose Adagio, it remains...

Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka is a groundbreaking orchestral composition notable for its innovative use of shifting musical styles reflecting scenes from a Russian puppet show. The work blends elements of Russian folk music with modernist techniques creating a unique and influential piece. Primarily i...

Ravel’s *Daphnis et Chloé* is a significant orchestral composition from 1912. Commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes, it showcases Ravel's mastery of impressionistic orchestration and harmonic language. The work blends Greek mythology with musical color to create a rich and evocativ...

The Bolshoi Theatre is a world-renowned performing arts venue located in Moscow, Russia. Originally founded in 1776, it’s celebrated globally for its rich history of ballet and opera performances. The theatre has undergone significant reconstruction, most notably completed in 2010, maintaining its s...

Igor Stravinsky was a revolutionary Russian composer whose career spanned multiple stylistic periods, each profoundly impactful. He achieved fame with his explosive, rhythmically complex ballets for Diaghilev, like 'The Rite of Spring,' which caused a scandal and changed music forever. He later expl...