Opéra national de Paris 2016/17: A Midsummer Night´s Dream

Numerous choreographers have delved into Shakespeare to find dramatic material for their ballets, beginning with Jean-Georges Noverre, an ardent defender of the "action ballet" and Marius Petipa, who was the first to use Mendelssohn´s stage music. George Balanchine, who also loved the score, would prove no exception. In 1962 he created his version of Shakespeare´s comedy for New York City Ballet. Faithful to the Bard´s vocabulary whilst adding a subtle touch of pantomime, he portrays a complex love story in two acts and six scenes. Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, become caught up in a domestic quarrel between the king of the elves and the queen of the fairies which results in the intervention of the mischievous Puck and his magic potion along with a troupe of amateur actors. The denouement is celebrated in the form of a grand virtuoso entertainment. One of George Balanchine´s rare narrative ballets, A Midsummer Night´s Dream is entering the Paris Opera Ballet´s repertoire. The sets and costumes for this production have been designed by another magician of the stage, Christian Lacroix.