Ballets

In this humorous and anecdotal ballet, a tennis-playing athlete flirts with a pretty girl until a ballerina dressed as a winged sylph appears and fascinates him. In the end the sylph, stripping down to a bathing suit, reveals herself to be an athlete too.

Jean Françaix (1912-1997) A French composer and pianist in the Neo-classical style, Françaix began composing at an early age, publishing a piano composition at the age of nine. Influenced by his father, the director of the La Mans Conservatory, and mother, a vocal teacher, he began training at his father’s school and later studied at the Paris Conservatory, where he was a student of Nadia Boulanger. Throughout his life, Françaix composed operas; concertos; chamber music; keyboard, vocal, and choral music; and even scored films for Sacha Guitry in the1950s. His contributions to music for ballet include Serenade for Small Orchestra (1934), which Balanchine used to choreograph A La Françaix, and Concertino for piano and orchestra (1932), which Balanchine used to choreograph Concertino.

Repertory notes provided courtesy of and adapted from New York City Ballet Online Repertory Index. Additional sources: Choreography by George Balanchine: A Catalogue of Works , An Eakins Press Foundation Book, published by Viking (1984); and Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds (1970; The Dial Press).

Photo credit: Photo uncredited, Courtesy of New York City Ballet Archives, Ballet Society Collection

Music: Serenade for Small Orchestra

Composer: Francaix, Jean

Premiere: September 11, 1951, New York City Ballet, City Center of Music and Drama

Average Ballet Length: 15 mins

Number of Dancers: 3

Costumes: Yes

Scenery: No