Cléopâtre (ballet)

Theda Bara as Cleopatra, 1917

Cléopâtre is a ballet in one act with choreography by Mikhail Fokine and music by Arensky. It includes music from Taneyev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka and Glazunov as well. Scenery and costumes were created by Léon Baskt. The first production opened at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on June 2, 1909.[1]

It starred Anna Pavlova as Ta-hor and Ida Rubinstein as Cleopatra. Mikhail Fokine himself danced Amoun. The favourite slaves of Cleopatra were danced by Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky. Other characters included Servants of the Temple, Egyptian Dancers, Greeks, Satyrs, Jewish Dancers, Syrian Musicians and Slaves.[1]

Cyril W. Beaumont writes that Cléopâtre is a largely based on a ballet called Une Nuit d'Égypte that was first produced by Fokine at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1908. The veil dance features Glinka's Danse Orientale from his opera Russlan and Ludmilla. Danse Persane from Mussogsky's Khovanchina was used as well.[1]

This ballet was revived by Diaghilev in 1918.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Beaumont, Cyril (1938). The Complete Book of Ballets.
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