3 replies to this topic

[glebb]

I used to love everything about Suzanne Farrell's solo in the first section of 'Union Jack'.   The music, choreography and the way she danced it.

I remember seeing on the Balanchine Part 1 & 2 special that Mr. Balanchine had originally choreographed this solo for Diana Adams in 'The Figure In The Carpet'.  

Did anyone from Ballet Alert see 'The Figure In The Carpet'?

[Alexandra]

(Sob)  NO!  It's on my top ten list when I get to Heaven

I've seen the Diana Adams excerpt too, Glebb.  I don't care if little bits of FintheC have gotten into this or that ballet, I want to see it.

[glebb]

Thanks at!  I'm even more interested now.

All of my dance books are locked up at work (except my Kschessinska bio which I keep at home), so I can't look it up.

Can you tell me what 'Figure In The Carpet' is about?  

Anything about it would be appreciated.

[Mel Johnson]

It was Balanchine's ballet de cour, set to Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" and "The Water Music Suite" both as arranged by Sir Hamilton Harty.  Its "pretense", to use Lincoln Kirstein's term, was to illustrate the stories and characters shown in Persian carpets which were collected during the eighteenth century.  I can't recall the exact occasion, but it was also a piéce d'occasion marking some warm fuzzies that were going on between the Shah of Iran and the US at the time.