description L'Après-midi d'un faune Overview
L’Après-midi d’un Faune is a 20th-century ballet by Diaghilev featuring music by Debussy. It presents a surreal exploration of instinct and fantasy through evocative movement and design. The work is notable for its avant-garde approach and was initially performed with Nijinsky as the lead dancer, influencing subsequent dance and theatrical productions. It’s relevant to those interested in early 20th-century ballet history or experimental performance art.
help L'Après-midi d'un faune FAQ
Who actually choreographed L'Apres-midi d'un faune?
The famous 1912 ballet was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, not Diaghilev or Debussy. Claude Debussy composed the music, Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, inspired by Stephane Mallarme's poem.
Why was Nijinsky's Faun controversial in 1912?
The ballet ended with an openly erotic gesture involving the nymph's scarf. At the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on May 29, 1912, the audience response included both applause and outrage.
What makes the movement in L'Apres-midi d'un faune unusual?
Nijinsky flattened the dancers into profile, like figures on an ancient Greek vase. The roughly 12-minute work also used bare feet and rejected much of the vertical virtuosity expected in classical ballet.
Is Jerome Robbins's Afternoon of a Faun the same ballet?
No. Jerome Robbins created a different Afternoon of a Faun for New York City Ballet in 1953, also to Debussy's music, but set it in a ballet studio with two dancers.
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