Afternoon of a Faun (Robbins)
Afternoon of a Faun is a ballet made by Jerome Robbins, subsequently ballet master of New York City Ballet, to Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. The premiere took place on 14 May 1953 at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, with scenery and lighting by Jean Rosenthal and costumes by Irene Sharaff. It is originated by Tanaquil LeClercq and Francisco Moncion. This piece is dedicated to Le Clercq.[1] LeClercq's costume was not by Sharaff. It was made for her by her mother, Edith Le Clercq.
Afternoon of a Faun | |
---|---|
Valery and Galina Panov in Afternoon of a Faun (1977) | |
Choreographer | Jerome Robbins |
Music | Claude Debussy |
Premiere | 14 May 1953 City Center of Music and Drama |
Original ballet company | New York City Ballet |
Created for | Tanaquil LeClercq Francisco Moncion |
Genre | Neoclassical ballet |
Type | Classical ballet |
Robbins' setting differs from the original version by Vaslav Nijinsky by placing the danseur in a ballet studio (a three wall set), lounging on the floor. A ballerina enters and they dance facing the audience as though looking into the mirrored wall of the studio. He kisses his partner on the cheek and she bourrées out of the studio and off-stage. He returns to his initial supine position.
Other companies that had performed the ballet include The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Paris Opera Ballet.[2][3][4]
Casts
- World premiere (1953): Tanaquil LeClercq, Francisco Moncion[1]
- Royal Ballet premiere (1971): Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell[5]
- Paris Opera Ballet premiere (1974): Ghislaine Thesmar, Michaël Denard[6]
- Australian Ballet premiere (1978): Marilyn Rowe, Gary Norman[7]
- American Ballet Theatre premiere (2005): Julie Kent, Ethan Stiefel[3]
Videography
In 2016, The Royal Ballet released a video of Afternoon of a Faun on a DVD, danced by Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov.[8]
In light of the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, Paris Opera Ballet released a recording, as a part of the Tribute to Jerome Robbins program.[9] New York City Ballet released a recording featuring Sterling Hyltin and Joseph Gordon, recorded in 2018. It was Gordon's debut of the ballet.[10]
References
- "Afternoon of a Faun". New York City Ballet. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- "Afternoon of a Faun". Oxford Reference.
- "Afternoon of a Faun". American Ballet Theatre. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- "Tribute to Jerome Robbins". Opéra national de Paris. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020.
- "Afternoon of a Faun - 14 December 1971 Evening". Royal Opera House Collections Online.
- "Spectacle de Ballets". MémOpéera.
- "Afternoon of a Faun (Australian context)". Trove. January 1, 2010.
- "Viscera / Carmen DVD (The Royal Ballet)". Royal Opera House shop. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- "5 free performances and films to stream live (and later)". All Arts. April 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
- "Week 4 of New York City Ballet's six-week digital spring season". Gramilano. May 4, 2020.