Famous Ballets
Instructions: From Swan Lake to The Nutcracker, how well do you know the world's most beloved ballets?
- 1.
Which composer wrote the music for 'Swan Lake,' 'The Nutcracker,' and 'The Sleeping Beauty'?
ASergei ProkofievBPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyCIgor StravinskyDNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - 2.
In 'The Nutcracker,' which sweet treats perform a dance in the Land of Sweets?
ASugar plum fairies onlyBOnly gingerbread menCOnly chocolateDVarious treats including chocolate, coffee, tea, and candy canes - 3.
Which ballet tells the story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart and becomes a spirit?
ALa BayadèreBGiselleCLa SylphideDCoppélia - 4.
Prokofiev composed the music for which ballet based on a Shakespeare play?
AOthelloBA Midsummer Night's DreamCRomeo and JulietDThe Tempest - 5.
Which ballet features a toymaker who creates a life-sized dancing doll named Coppélia?
APetroushkaBLa Fille mal gardéeCCoppéliaDThe Nutcracker - 6.
Stravinsky's 'Petrushka' is set at what type of event?
AA harvest festivalBA royal ballCA Russian carnival (Shrovetide fair)DA wedding celebration - 7.
Which Russian choreographer created the definitive versions of 'Swan Lake' and 'The Sleeping Beauty'?
AVaslav NijinskyBMichel FokineCGeorge BalanchineDMarius Petipa - 8.
Which Aaron Copland ballet celebrates the building of a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania?
AAppalachian SpringBDance PanelsCBilly the KidDRodeo - 9.
In 'Swan Lake,' what spell has been cast on Princess Odette?
AShe is turned into a swan by dayBShe becomes invisibleCShe is trapped in a towerDShe is put to sleep for 100 years - 10.
Which Stravinsky ballet depicts an ancient pagan ritual and caused a scandal at its premiere?
AApolloBPetrushkaCThe Rite of SpringDThe Firebird - 11.
'La Bayadère,' a ballet about a temple dancer and a warrior, is set in which country?
AEgyptBIndiaCJapanDChina - 12.
Which American choreographer created 'Fancy Free,' about three sailors on shore leave in New York?
ABob FosseBGeorge BalanchineCAgnes de MilleDJerome Robbins - 13.
'The Firebird' was the first major collaboration between Stravinsky and which impresario?
ASergei DiaghilevBRudolf NureyevCGeorge BalanchineDMarius Petipa - 14.
What is a 'grand jeté' in ballet?
AA group formationBA deep curtsyCA large, leaping split in the airDA slow, graceful turn - 15.
Which Copland ballet features cowgirls and a hoedown in the American West?
ABilly the KidBAppalachian SpringCFanfare for the Common ManDRodeo
Answer Key
Tchaikovsky composed the music for all three of the most popular ballets in the repertoire. Together they are sometimes called the 'Big Three' of classical ballet.
Act 2 of 'The Nutcracker' features a series of divertissements representing treats from around the world: Spanish chocolate, Arabian coffee, Chinese tea, Russian candy canes, and Danish marzipan shepherds, among others.
'Giselle' (1841) is one of the greatest Romantic ballets. After discovering her lover Albrecht's deception, Giselle dies and becomes a Wili — a spirit of a maiden who died before her wedding day.
Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' (1935) is one of the greatest ballet scores of the 20th century. The 'Dance of the Knights' and the balcony scene pas de deux are among its most famous moments.
'Coppélia' (1870), with music by Léo Delibes, tells the story of Dr. Coppélius, an eccentric toymaker, and his mechanical doll. It is one of ballet's most popular comic works.
'Petrushka' (1911) is set at a Shrovetide fair in St. Petersburg. Three puppets — Petrushka, the Ballerina, and the Moor — come to life and act out a love triangle. It premiered with the Ballets Russes.
Marius Petipa, a French-born choreographer who worked in Russia, created the definitive choreography for many classical ballets. He collaborated with Tchaikovsky and is considered the father of classical ballet as we know it.
'Appalachian Spring' (1944) was choreographed by Martha Graham with Copland's score. Set in the Pennsylvania countryside, it depicts a young couple's celebration of their new home. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
The sorcerer Von Rothbart has cursed Odette to live as a swan during the day. Only at night does she take human form. Only a faithful vow of love can break the spell.
'The Rite of Spring' (1913) depicts a pagan ritual in which a young girl dances herself to death as a sacrifice to the god of spring. Its dissonant music and shocking choreography by Nijinsky caused a near-riot at the premiere.
'La Bayadère' (1877), choreographed by Marius Petipa, is set in the Royal India of the past. Its famous 'Kingdom of the Shades' scene, featuring a long line of ballerinas descending a ramp, is one of ballet's most iconic moments.
Jerome Robbins choreographed 'Fancy Free' in 1944 with music by Leonard Bernstein. The ballet about three sailors looking for dates in wartime New York was later expanded into the Broadway musical 'On the Town.'
Sergei Diaghilev commissioned the 26-year-old Stravinsky to compose 'The Firebird' for his Ballets Russes in 1910. Based on Russian fairy tales, it launched Stravinsky to international fame.
A grand jeté is a spectacular leap in which the dancer splits their legs in mid-air. It is one of ballet's most thrilling and athletic movements, requiring great strength and flexibility.
'Rodeo' (1942), choreographed by Agnes de Mille, tells the story of a cowgirl trying to win the head wrangler's heart at a ranch rodeo. Its energetic 'Hoe-Down' finale has become one of Copland's most famous pieces.