A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)

History#

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Balanchine’s first completely original full-length ballet, premiered at New York City Ballet on 17 January 1962, with Edward Villella in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden in the role of Titania, and Arthur Mitchell in the role of Puck. They were joined by Francisco Moncion in the role of Theseus- Duke of Athens.

Description#

In addition to the incidental music, Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet, including the Overtures to Athalie, Son and Stranger, and The Fair Melusine, the “String Symphony No. 9 in C minor” and The First Walpurgis Night. 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.

Videography#

A 1966 performance was filmed and released the following year. It featured Suzanne Farrell, Edward Villella, Arthur Mitchell and Gloria Govrin. The Paris Opera Ballet also released a recording of a performance during the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, which featured Eleonora Abbagnato, Laëtitia Pujol, Alice Renavand, Stéphane Bullion, Hugo Marchand and Karl Paquette. When the coronavirus pandemic cut short the San Francisco Ballet 2020 performance to just its opening night on March 6, it was subsequently recorded in an empty War Memorial Opera House shortly after its opening and released as part of the all-digital 2021 season.

Other versions#

• Frederick Ashton (The Dream)
• Christopher Wheeldon
• Bruce Wells on the Boston Ballet
• Ib Andersen on Ballet Arizona
• David Nixon on BalletMet Columbus
• John Neumeier on the Hamburg Ballet
• François Klaus on the Queensland Ballet
• Heinz Spoerli on Basel Ballet, Rhine Opera Ballet, and Zurich Ballet
• Lourdes Lopez on Miami City Ballet
• John Clifford on (The Portland Ballet)
• Liam Scarlett on The Royal New Zealand Ballet

External links#

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the website of the Balanchine Trust
• Excerpts performed by San Francisco Ballet
• Excerpts performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet
• Tiler Peck on A Midsummer Night’s Dream