Ballo della Regina

Development#

Ballo della Regina is set to the Act III ballet divertissement from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlos, which he had reluctantly included at the request of the Paris Opera, In the opera, the ballet divertissement was performed in honour of Queen Elizabeth of Spain, who was absent and in her place her lady-in-waiting Princess Eboli, donning a mask, presided over the festivities. The ballet divertissement is set in a grotto and depicts a fisherman discovering the La Peregrina pearl. Balanchine made the piano reduction of the music himself as none existed. Aware that the music would be uninteresting for the orchestra, Balanchine apologised to the orchestra and hinted he would use more challenging music for his next ballet, which would be Kammermusik No. 2. For the lead roles, Balanchine chose Merrill Ashley, recently promoted to principal dancer, and Robert Weiss. Balanchine had spoken to Ashley about a virtuoso role, but she was unaware he was planning for a role for her. She then returned from vacation to find out about her promotion and casting in Ballo della Regina. Debra Austin, Bonita Borne, Stephanie Saland and Sheryl Ware originated the soloist roles.

Choreography#

Ballo della Regina is plotless, and performed by a lead couple, along with an all-female ensemble consisting of four soloists and twelve corps de ballet dancers. It features a prologue, pas de deux, variations for the two lead dancers and four soloists, and a coda. Balanchine’s biographer Bernard Taper described the ballet as “essentially a display piece, spotlighting the bravura talent of Merrill Ashley.” Kisselgoff also found that in addition to ballet divertissement from Don Carlos, Balanchine took inspiration from “underwater-pearl” ballets that he became familiar with as a child, such as Saint-Léon’s The Little Humpbacked Horse and Petipa’s La Perle. According to her, the Verdi score’s structure and mood “has given Balanchine his cue”, and the two lead roles of Ballo della Regina evoke the fisherman and pearl of the opera divertissement.

Performances#

Ballo della Regina had a preview performance at a gala benefit in November 1977, Ballo della Regina has also entered the repertory of other ballet companies, including the San Francisco Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Cuban National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet.

Critical reception#

Upon the premiere, New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff wrote that Ballo della Regina “is not a great ballet. It is merely terrific.” She added that the ballet “contains some of the most original combinations of steps that Mr. Balanchine has devised in a long time.”

Videography#

In 1979, Ballo della Regina was televised on PBS’s Dance in America, featuring Ashley and Weiss. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York City Ballet made an archival video of the ballet featuring Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley available online. The Royal Danish Ballet also made a recording of the ballet, featuring Holly Dorger and Jonathan Chmelensky, available to stream.

External links#

• Ballo della Regina on the New York City Ballet website
• Ballo della Regina on the Balanchine Trust website