Ballet at the Edinburgh International Festival: history and repertoire, 1947–1956

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Ballet was an important part of the Edinburgh International Festival from its earliest days, with performances taking place at the Empire Theatre, later to be refurbished to become the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.

Contents

The first company to appear was the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company who returned many times later, together with a series of visiting companies from abroad.

List

DateCompanyBalletVenueChoreographer(s)Principal dancersNotes and sources
1947 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company The Sleeping Beauty Empire Theatre
  • Margot Fonteyn
 [1]
1948 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company La Boutique fantasque , Miracle in the Gorbals , Symphonic Variations , Coppélia , Checkmate , Clock Symphony, Scènes de ballet , Mam'zelle Angot , Les Sylphides , Job , The Three-Cornered Hat Empire Theatre
  • Margot Fonteyn
 [2]
1949Ballets des Champs-Élysées13 danses, Jeu de cartes , The Nutcracker , Les forains, Mascarade, Le rendez-vous, Swan Lake , Le rencontre, Fêtes galantes, Le création, Don Quichotte , Valse caprice, La Sylphide , Le Cygne noir, Le jeune homme et la mort , La fiancée du diable, Orphéus, L'oiseau bleu, Le bal des blanchisseuses, Coppélia , L'amour et son amour, Pas de quatre , Les amours de JupiterEmpire Theatre
 [3]
1950 American National Ballet Theatre Theme and Variations , Fall River Legend , Fancy Free Empire Theatre [4]
1950 Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas (Le Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo) Swan Lake (Act II), Giselle (two acts), and othersEmpire Theatre [4]
1951 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company Swan Lake , Les patineurs , Tiresias , Wedding Bouquet, Checkmate , Symphonic Variations , Don Quixote , The Rake’s Progress , Ballet Imperial , Job Empire Theatre
  • Margot Fonteyn, Moira Shearer
 [5] [6]
1951Yugoslav BalletThe Legend of Ohrid, The Ballad of a Medieval Love, Gingerbread HeartEmpire Theatre
  • Margarita Froman
  • Pina and Pio Mlakar
  • Dimitriye Parlitch
 [5]
1952 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company Coppélia , Les Rendezvous , Reflection, Pineapple Poll Empire Theatre [7]
1952 Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas (Le Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo) Concerto Barocco , Scaramouche, Pas-de-trois, Prisoner in the Caucasus, Night Shadow, Ines de Castro, Tarasiana, Del amor y de muerteEmpire Theatre [7]
1953 American National Ballet Theatre Constantia, Circo de Espana, Black Swan (pas de deux), Rodeo , Billy the Kid , Schumann Concerto, Graduation Ball Empire Theatre [8]
1953The Spanish Ballet of Pilar López Spanish dances and musicEmpire Theatre
 [8]
1953 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company Pastorale, The Rake's Progress , Blood Wedding, Fête étrange, Harlequin in April, Carte blancheEmpire Theatre [8]
1954 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company Homage to Diaghilev: Le tricorne , L'Oiseau de feu , La Boutique fantasque Empire Theatre
 [9]
1955 Royal Danish Ballet La Sylphide , Capricious Lucinda, Romeo and Juliet, Napoli , Graduation Ball , The Whims of Cupid and the Ballet MasterEmpire Theatre [10]
1956 Sadler's Wells Ballet Company Noctambules , Birthday offering, The Lady and the Fool , Coppélia , Les Sylphides , The Miraculous Mandarin , Homage to the Queen , Le lac des cygnes ,Empire Theatre
 [11]
1956The Ram Gopal Indian BalletThe Legend of the Taj MahalEmpire Theatre
 [11]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh 1947 Souvenir Programme. 1947.
  2. ↑ The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh 1948 Souvenir Programme. 1948.
  3. ↑ The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh 1949 Programme. 1949.
  4. 1 2 The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh Programme 1950. 1950.
  5. 1 2 The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh Programme 1951. 1951.
  6. ↑ "Those were the days - Moira Shearer, ballerina, 1951". 1951. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  7. 1 2 International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh 1952 Programme. 1952.
  8. 1 2 3 The International Festival of Music & Drama Edinburgh Programme 1953. 1953.
  9. ↑ Edinburgh International Festival 1954 Souvenir Programme. 1954.
  10. ↑ Edinburgh International Festival 1955 Souvenir Programme. 1955.
  11. 1 2 Edinburgh International Festival 1956 Souvenir Programme. 1956.
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