Top 5...Ballets

5. Coppelia - Delibes

A lovely and witty comic ballet about an eccentric inventor, Dr Coppelius, who creates a life-sized doll and brings her to life. Unfortunately, the hapless village lad Franz also falls in love with her...It’s our Number 5 for its sparkling score and charming plot.

 

 

 

4. Don Quixote  - Minkus

A lively work with a generous splash of Spanish ‘estilo’, Don Quixote is a ballet based on the famous novel by Miguel de Cervantes and the first of a staggering sixteen ballets by the composer Minkus and choreographer Marius Petipa.

 

 

 

3. Romeo and Juliet – Prokofiev

All the best bits from the classic Shakespeare play – including the tights! Fighting Montagues and Capulets on the streets of Verona, an opulent Ball, a secret marriage and a tragic death scene – this is ballet at its greatest.

 

 

 

2. Petrushka - Stravinsky

A psychedelic story of three puppets, who come to life and become embroiled in a dangerous love-triangle. Listen out for the famous ‘Petrushka chord’ – a mixture of C major and F♯ major triads played simultaneously!

 

 

 

1. Swan Lake - Tchaikovsky

First premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet in 1877, this famous ballet has been introduced to a whole new generation by the 2010 Hollywood film ‘Black Swan’. The story comes from a Russian folk tale, where a young girl is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. It’s a ballet full of super-high leaps – don’t try this at home!