Les noces facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Les Noces
Stravinsky in 1920
Choreographed by	Bronislava Nijinska
Composed by	Igor Stravinsky
Libretto by	Igor Stravinsky
Based on	Russian wedding lyrics
Date of premiere	13 June 1923
Place of premiere	Théâtre Gaite-Lyrîqué Paris
Original ballet company	Diaghilev's Ballets Russes
Characters	Nastasia, the bride Fétis, the groom Their families and friends
Designs by	Natalia Goncharova
Setting	Peasant household in Russia Time immemorial
Genre	Modernism
Type	Modern

Les Noces (which means The Wedding in English) is a special kind of ballet with four parts, or scenes. It was first created for a famous dance company called the Ballets Russes, led by Sergei Diaghilev. The amazing dance moves were created by Bronislava Nijinska, and the music and words were written by Igor Stravinsky. The music is quite unique because it uses voices, four pianos, and lots of percussion instruments.

This ballet first showed on June 13, 1923, in Paris, France. Sometimes, people call Les Noces a "dance cantata" because it mixes singing with dancing. The music is also often played by itself in concerts.

How Les Noces Was Created

In 1915, a famous ballet producer named Sergei Diaghilev wanted to make a ballet called La Liturgie. It was going to be about the Greek Orthodox Church. However, Igor Stravinsky was a strong Christian and did not want to write that ballet.

Instead, Stravinsky decided to create Les Noces, which was inspired by traditional Russian folk songs. He had started thinking about this idea back in 1913.

Designing the Dances

At first, Michel Fokine began to choreograph the ballet, but then Vaslav Nijinsky took over. After Nijinsky, Leonide Massine worked on the dances. Finally, Bronislava Nijinska designed the final choreography, which is still used today.

The Look of the Ballet

The sets and costumes for Les Noces were designed by Natalia Goncharova, a very talented artist. She made two complete designs before her third one was finally accepted. The first two designs were not right for the dancing or the music.

Even though the story was based on an old folk tale, the ballet had a very modern style. Stravinsky and Nijinska felt it was important for the design to match this modern feeling.

Performances and Revivals

Les Noces is still performed by some big ballet companies, like the Royal Ballet in London. In 1936, it was performed by Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes, which was a company that continued Diaghilev's work.

Keeping the Original Dances

After World War II, the ballet was brought back to life in London in 1966. Bronislava Nijinska herself watched over this performance to make sure the dancers followed her original choreography exactly. Because of her care, the ballet is still danced the way it was first created.

It was also performed in Stuttgart in 1974 and Paris in 1976. Jerome Robbins created his own version of the ballet for the American Ballet Theatre in 1965.

See also

In Spanish: Las bodas para niños