4/17/20 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Judith Jamison- Josephslegende (The Legend of Joseph)

Josephslegende (The Legend of Joseph), Op. 63, is a ballet in one act for the Ballets Russes based on the story of Potiphar’s Wife, with a libretto by Hofmannsthal and Kessler and music by Richard Strauss. Composed in 1912–14, it premiered at the Paris Opera on 14 May 1914. Continue reading

Rudolph Nureyev and Denise Jackson: Spectre de la Rose

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Le Spectre de la rose (English: The Spirit of the Rose) about a young girl who dreams of dancing with the spirit of a souvenir rose from her first ball. Jean-Louis Vaudoyer wrote the ballet story. He based it on a verse by  Theophile Gautier.  The dances were designed by Michel Fokine. The music is Hector Berlioz’s 1841 orchestration by Carl Maria von Weber’s piano music Afforderung zum Tanz (English: Invitation to the Dance). Leon Bakst designed the original sets and costume. The ballet was first presented in Monte Carlo on 19 April 1911. Nijinsky danced The Rose and Tamara Karsavina danced The Young Girl. Continue reading