11 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

This topic might have been discussed somewhere else, but I can't find it.  What's the historic/choreographic background for the Pas de Trois-(one bailarin, two ballerinas)- that is performed in this production right after the Entrance of all the characters right at the beggining of the Act? -(from the DVD "An Evening with the Royal Ballet").
None of the live productions I've seen include it...(Alonso's, McKenzie's, Villella's..). Is that part of the "original" XIX Century SB design...?
Mel, Leonid, Alexandra...?  

[Hans]

I think you are referring to the "Florestan" pas de trois in which Aurora's brother "Florimund" and her two sisters dance to the music of the Fairies of the Precious Stones and Metals.  I *think* this originated with the Royal Ballet & was choreographed by Ashton, but I could be wrong.

[leonid]

cubanmiamiboy, on Nov 15 2009, 01:50 PM, said:

This topic might have been discussed somewhere else, but I can't find it.  What's the historic/choreographic background for the Pas de Trois-(one bailarin, two ballerinas)- that is performed in this production right after the Entrance of all the characters right at the beggining of the Act? -(from the DVD "An Evening with the Royal Ballet").
None of the live productions I've seen include it...(Alonso's, McKenzie's, Villella's..). Is that part of the "original" XIX Century SB design...?
Mel, Leonid, Alexandra...?  

The Royal Ballet’s first production of Sleeping Beauty was that staged by Nikolai Sergeyev and premiered on 02 February 1939.

When de Valois revived the production after the war the Florestan and his Two Sisters pas de trios with choreography by Ashton was introduced and first presented on 20 February March 1946. The cast was  Florestan – Michael Somes, his two sisters were Moira Shearer and Gerd Larsen. Ashton also choreographed the Garland dance.

To this same production, De Valois introduced The Three Ivans.(Music The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66 / Act 3 - 28e. Pas de deux: Coda (Allegro vivace)(The Three Ivans) into the last Act and the Bluebird pas de deux on this occasion was supervised by Stanislaus Idzikovsky.

The Three Ivans were originally introduced in Diaghilev’s  staging of The Sleeping Beauty(1921) and was choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska and the Florestan Pas de trois introduced by Diaghilev into Aurora's Wedding (1923) using the Act III music from Sleeping Beauty which originally accompanied the Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Sapphire Fairy variations.

I always enjoyed the Florestan pas de trois but today prefer the Jewels variations .

[Mel Johnson]

The Florestan pas de trois provides one example of one great choreographer borrowing from another and then massaging the steps so that the borrowing isn't quite so obvious.  The entrée of the dance is freely lifted and modified from the pas de trois in Act I Swan Lake.  

Balanchine did this a lot, too, and when the "Paquita grand pas" variation began to become known to western audience, he was alleged to have said, "Now you see where I steal from!"

[cubanmiamiboy]

Many thanks to Hans, Leonid and Mel!
re:

Hans, on Nov 15 2009, 11:33 AM, said:

...Aurora's brother "Florimund" and her two sisters...

Oh, so the family got extended..! So this is Aurora's brother, dancing with her two sisters...SO THERE ARE FOUR KIDS!  

But...wasn't Florimund another name given to Desire at some point in other productions...?

[Paul Parish]

Wow -- she has a BROTHER! That changes things.

I've always thought that the situation was that the country did not HAVE a male heir, and they waited anxiously for the queen to conceive and were lucky to have a princess-- and that Aurora's strength of character is key to the future of the kingdom, and that THAT was part of what was at stake in the Rose Adagio. She's going to be the sovereign someday -- luckily, she's got what it takes. That's why it was such a great role for Fonteyn, who had all those qualities, she was a heroine in the war effort, and even looked amazingly similar to young Princess Elizabeth (who also did HER part in the war effort, as a mechanic in some branch of the British military).

[Mel Johnson]

Princess Elizabeth was an Automotive Vehicles Specialist with the British Army.  She could drive 'em, she could fix 'em.  She was the first Royal to have what most commoners could regard as a modern trade.  

As to the genealogy of the pas de trois dancers, just bear in mind that as far as ballet "text" is concerned, a character could be named "Hemingway Wodziehowicz" for all the difference it makes.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I'm even more confused now about who these characters are...

1-Aurora's brother-(with the same name as Desire's nemesis...)-dancing with Aurora's sisters...?

Hans, on Nov 15 2009, 11:33 AM, said:

...Aurora's brother "Florimund" and her two sisters

or

2-King Florestan dancing with Aurora's aunts...?

leonid, on Nov 15 2009, 12:10 PM, said:

... Florestan and his Two Sisters

[leonid]

cubanmiamiboy, on Nov 16 2009, 07:39 PM, said:

I'm even more confused now...Who are this characters...

1-Aurora's brother-(with the same name as Desire's nemesis...)-dancing with Aurora's sisters...?

Hans, on Nov 15 2009, 11:33 AM, said:

...Aurora's brother "Florimund" and her two sisters

or

2-King Florestan dancing with Aurora's aunts...?

leonid, on Nov 15 2009, 12:10 PM, said:

... Florestan and his Two Sisters

Lets not get too deep about these characters whose names are I suggest are simply a plot device because soloists danced the roles, they therefore had to be given names to fit in with the story. They do of course get no characterisation unlike the original Perrault or elsewhere.

[carbro]

Cristian, as I know it, the King is Florestan the N^th, and the pd3 is danced by Florestan the N^th+1.  

This has never made sense to me, not only for the reason Paul notes, that Aurora's good health is necessary for the continuity of the line, but also because we are first introduced to these no-longer-children at the wedding.  Obviously, they weren't born during the dormant century, so they must have been around for the celebration of Aurora's birthday, two acts earlier.   Why didn't we see them there?  Were they grounded for conduct unbecoming royalty?  That would have caused quite the tabloid scandal.  

Gimme the Precious Stones pas any day!

[Hans]

Aurora's father is Florestan XIV.

[cubanmiamiboy]

...and introduced by Nijinska in some of the Diaghilev previous incarnations of the ballet way before Ashton, right...?