Mother Goose (ballet) facts for kids
Mother Goose is a beautiful ballet created by the famous balletmaster Jerome Robbins for the New York City Ballet. It uses music by the French composer Maurice Ravel, specifically his Ma Mère l'Oye Suite. This music was first written in 1908 and then arranged for an orchestra by Ravel himself in 1912.
The ballet first opened on May 22, 1975, at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center in New York City. The costumes were designed by Stanley Simmons, and the lighting was done by Jennifer Tipton. When it first premiered, the ballet kept its French name, Ma Mère l'Oye. It was later given the English title, Mother Goose, in May 1978.
Ravel's Ma Mère l'Oye music originally started as five pieces for two people to play on one piano at the same time. Later, Ravel turned these pieces into a full orchestral suite and added more parts to make it a ballet. He included a prelude (an opening piece), an opening scene, and four short musical sections called interludes that connect the five original pieces.
The Story Behind the Music
The music for Mother Goose is inspired by classic fairy tales. Ravel's suite brings to life characters and scenes from well-known stories. These tales often come from the collection of French author Charles Perrault, who wrote down many popular fairy tales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
Original Dancers
When Mother Goose first premiered, these talented dancers were part of the original cast:
- Muriel Aasen
- Delia Peters
- Tracy Bennett
- Deborah Koolish
- Colleen Neary
- Richard Hoskinson
- Matthew Giordano
- Jay Jolley
- Daniel Duell
