Jeux facts for kids

Jeux (which means "Games" in French) is a modern ballet that was first performed over 100 years ago. It was created by the famous dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. The music for Jeux was composed by Claude Debussy, a well-known French composer.

The ballet had its very first show in Paris, France, on May 15, 1913. It was performed at the Théâtre des Champs Elysees. The main dancers were Vaslav Nijinsky himself, along with Tamara Karsavina and Ludmilla Schollar. This ballet was part of the Ballets Russes company, led by Sergei Diaghilev, which was famous for its exciting new ballets.

What is Jeux About?

Jeux tells the story of a boy and two girls playing a game of tennis at dusk in a park. They are looking for a lost tennis ball. As they search, they flirt and dance with each other. The ballet explores the playful and sometimes complicated feelings between the three young people. It's a very modern story for its time, focusing on everyday life rather than grand fairy tales.

The Story of the Ballet

The ballet begins in a park near the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. It's evening, and the light is fading. A young boy has lost his tennis ball. Two girls come along, and they all start looking for it together.

As they search, their game turns into a dance. They move around each other, sometimes playfully, sometimes a bit awkwardly. There are moments where the boy dances with one girl, then the other, and sometimes all three dance together. The movements show their changing feelings and flirtations.

The ballet ends when another tennis ball is thrown onto the stage. This breaks their game and their dance. The three young people quickly leave the stage, leaving the audience to wonder what will happen next.

Who Created Jeux?

Jeux was a special project because it brought together some very talented artists.

Vaslav Nijinsky: The Choreographer

Vaslav Nijinsky was an amazing dancer, known for his incredible jumps and powerful stage presence. He also became a choreographer, which means he created the dances. For Jeux, Nijinsky wanted to show more realistic movements and emotions, different from traditional ballet. He tried to make the dancers move like real people playing a game, but in a ballet style.

Claude Debussy: The Composer

Claude Debussy was a French composer famous for his unique and dreamy music. His music for Jeux is very atmospheric. It helps to create the feeling of a warm evening in the park and the playful mood of the dancers. Debussy's music often sounds like it's painting a picture with sounds.

Léon Bakst: The Designer

The costumes and set for Jeux were designed by Léon Bakst. He was known for his bright colors and exotic designs. For Jeux, Bakst created costumes that looked like modern tennis outfits, which was very unusual for a ballet at the time. The setting was a simple park, making the ballet feel more real and current.

Why Was Jeux Important?

Jeux was considered a very modern ballet for its time. It was different from the classical ballets that people were used to seeing.

A New Kind of Ballet

Instead of princesses and magical creatures, Jeux showed everyday people and their interactions. This was a big change in ballet. Nijinsky's choreography also used more natural, less formal movements. This made the ballet feel more like a play or a real-life scene.

Mixed Reactions

When Jeux first opened, not everyone loved it. Some people found it too different or "tepidly" received, meaning it wasn't met with strong excitement. However, it is now seen as an important step in the history of modern ballet. It showed that ballet could tell stories about everyday life and use new kinds of movements and music.

Images for kids

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  "Venetian holiday in the 16th century." Set design by Alexandre Benois for an unrealized production of Jeux