When to see it
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This work is being performed as part of a mixed programme:
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The Firebird / A Month in the Country / Symphony in C
Three ballet classics with a Russian flavour from Fokine, Ashton and Balanchine.
The Story
Prince Ivan catches a magic Firebird. To be set free, she gives him one of her feathers and tells him to call on her if he needs help. The Prince meets a group of Princesses, including the Tsarevna, who have been put under a spell by the evil Kostcheï.
Read more… (Contains spoilers)
Background
The Firebird was Igor Stravinsky's first ballet score. It was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and had its premiere in 1910 at the Paris Opéra. The Royal Ballet's production uses the brilliant costumes and glittering sets of the avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova, which were created for the Ballets Russes' production of 1926.
Both Stravinsky's score and Mikhail Fokine's choreography were ground breaking. Fokine shifted from classical ballet towards a more realist and folk-derived style of movement, while Stravinsky incorporated elements of folksong into his music. The role of the Firebird is challenging to dance and mesmerizing to watch - she enters the stage in a flash of movement, and her steps are bold and full of a powerful energy. The strange characters that accompany Kostcheï transform the stage into a spectacular blaze of colour and folkloric detail, and this unique ballet ends with tableau that is as vivid as it is distinctly Russian.
News and features
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Stories without words: Narrative ballets and their many inspirations
20 November 2014
How and where choreographers find stories has changed throughout the art form's history.
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The myths behind the ballets: A quick guide to Sampling the Myth
28 August 2014
Dance has long been inspired by myths and folk tales, with Deloitte Ignite offering extracts of classics and new works on one bill.
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Stravinsky and ballet: 'See the music, hear the dance'
31 October 2013
It's not only about The Rite of Spring: join us as we look at some of Stravinsky's other iconic ballet scores.
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Ballets Russes walking tour
21 December 2012
Follow in the footsteps of Diaghilev’s legendary dance company with a guided walk around Covent Garden.
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The Firebird: A ‘riot of rich colour and fantastic movement’
11 December 2012
Taking a look at the origins of one of the great Russian ballets.
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Six to ten: Russian Literature on stage
4 September 2012
A further five adaptations of famous Russian works.