A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)

This article is about Balanchine's 1962 full-length ballet. For Shakespeare's play, see A Midsummer Night's Dream. For other uses, see A Midsummer Night's Dream (disambiguation).

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a two-act ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for Shakespeare's play of the same name. In addition to the incidental music, Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet including Overtures to Athalie, Son and Stranger, and The Fair Melusine, Symphony No. 9 for Strings and The First Walpurgis Night.^[1] A Midsummer Night's Dream is Balanchine's first completely original full-length ballet, and premiered at New York City Ballet on January 17, 1962 ^{[1] [2]} with Edward Villella in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden in the role of Titiana, and Arthur Mitchell in the role of Puck. The ballet employs a large children's corps de ballet.^[3] Act I tells Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies while Act II presents a strictly classical dance wedding celebration. The ballet dispenses with Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale. A Midsummer Night's Dream opened The New York City Ballet's first season at the New York State Theater in April, 1964. ^[1]

Casts

original

first cast

Titania Oberon Puck

Melissa Hayden Edward Villella Arthur Mitchell

NYCB revivals

2009 Spring

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

first cast Darci Kistler Joaquín De Luz Daniel Ulbricht Teresa Reichlen Ask la Cour Charles Askegard Rebecca Krohn Amar Ramasar Jennie Somogyi Jonathan Stafford Erica Pereira [casts 1] Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer [casts 2] Philip Neal

second cast Maria Kowroski Antonio Carmena Adam Hendrickson Ana Sophia Scheller Henry Seth Jason Fowler Faye Arthurs Arch Higgins Abi Stafford Andrew Veyette Alina Dronova Adrian Danchig-Waring Yvonne Borree Sébastien Marcovici

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

third cast Teresa Reichlen [casts 1] Andrew Veyette Sean Suozzi Savannah Lowery [casts 1] Jason Fowler Justin Peck [casts 1] Dena Abergel Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild [casts 1] Brittany Pollack [casts 1] Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer Jared Angle [casts 1]

fourth cast Teresa Reichlen Gonzalo Garcia Troy Schumacher [casts 3] Savannah Lowery Jason Fowler Justin Peck Dena Abergel; Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild Brittany Pollack Henry Seth Janie Taylor [casts 1] Tyler Angle [casts 1]

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

fifth cast Teresa Reichlen Andrew Veyette Troy Schumacher [casts 3] Savannah Lowery Jason Fowler Justin Peck Dena Abergel Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild Brittany Pollack Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer Jared Angle

notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} first time in rôle
2. ^ Jenifer Ringer replaced Wendy Whelan in the divertissement.
3. ^ ^{a b} Troy Schumacher replaced Sean Suozzi in the rôle of Puck.

Other choreographers' interpretations

• Frederick Ashton (The Dream)
• Christopher Wheeldon
• Bruce Wells on the Boston Ballet
• Ib Andersen on Ballet Arizona
• David Nixon on BalletMet Columbus
• John Neumeier
• François Klaus on the Queensland Ballet

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c} A Midsummer Night's Dream. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
2. ^ New York City Ballet: Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
3. ^ Boston Ballet: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Retrieved 14 October 2008.

External links

Balanchine Foundation website

Balanchine Trust website

NYCB website