8 Most Popular Ballets in the World

Existence would be meaningless without ballet. Great dancers are great not because of their technique, but because of their enthusiasm. Here we would be providing the 8 most famous ballets in the world.

Posted On April 23rd, 2021

The Nutcracker

It is a two-act classical ballet. It is based on the 1816 fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It tells the story of a young girl who spends Christmas Eve in the Land of Sweets. Hoffmann's plot was adapted for the ballet by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The choreography was created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The Nutcracker was first performed on December 18, 1892, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, to modest success and was seldom seen in the following years.

Swan Lake

Swan Lake is a four-act romantic ballet. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In 1871, he composed a swan ballet for his nieces and nephews. Some of the music from this ballet was used in Swan Lake. The ballet's plot is based on a German fairy tale. This story was most likely altered by Tchaikovsky and his friends during the early stages of the ballet's development.

Giselle

Giselle's story is a charming tale of innocent love and deception, involving the philandering Count Albrecht and a trusting peasant maid, Giselle. Giselle enjoys dancing despite her poor spirit. Albrecht has been captivated by her elegance. Giselle loses her senses, and the first act concludes with the well-known insane scene and her death.

Romeo and Juliet

Sergei Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet is based on Shakespeare's tragic love tale. It is one of the most famous versions of the play. Prokofiev wrote the music for the Kirov Ballet in 1935 or 1936. Many great choreographers have been inspired by the amazing ballet score to try their hand at Shakespeare's tale.

Don Quixote

It is a three-act ballet based on scenes from Miguel de Cervantes' popular novel Don Quixote de la Mancha. It was first performed by the Ballet of the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, Russia on 26 December [O.S. 14 December] 1869, choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus.

Cinderella Ballet

Sergei Prokofiev wrote the ballet to a scenario by Nikolai Volkov. It is one of his most famous and melodious compositions, and it has influenced many choreographers since its debut. Between 1940 and 1944, the piece was published. Prokofiev took a break from writing it to work on his opera War and Peace. Cinderella premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre on November 21, 1945, under the direction of Yuri Fayer, with choreography by Rostislav Zakharov and Galina Ulanova in the title role. Cinderella is notable for its jubilant music, lush scenery, and the comedic double-roles of the step-sisters (which can be done in travesty), who in this treatment are more insane than evil.

Coppelia

Coppélia is a comedic ballet scripted by Arthur Saint-Léon to Léo Delibes' music and libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter. Nuitter's libretto and set design were inspired by two E. T. A. Hoffmann stories: Der Sandmann and Die Automate. o is a Greek word that means young lady.

The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty is a three-act ballet with a prologue. The ballet's tale was written by Marius Petipa and Ivan Vsevolojsky. It was based on the 1697 fairy tale "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood" by Charles Perrault. The music was composed by Tchaikovsky. The dances were choreographed by Marius Petipa.