Modern Classics

The Fairy’s Kiss and Four Schumann Pieces

Since its premiere in 1975, Four Schumann Pieces has grown to become one of Hans van Manen’s most popular and most frequently performed works. It was originally created for The Royal Ballet, in London, with former ballet star Anthony Dowell in the challenging main role, as Van Manen wanted to choreograph a work that for once revolved not around ‘that eternal ballerina’, but around the ‘ballerino’ instead. Surrounded by five dance couples, we see this male soloist go through various emotional stages, in the clear dance idiom so typical of Van Manen, after which he eventually remains behind alone. This lends romantic and melancholy overtones to the abstract choreography after all.

Distinctive and poignant

The European premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Fairy’s Kiss (2017) is taking place in June 2024, performed by Dutch National Ballet. The ballet is based on Igor Stravinsky’s masterly Le baiser de la fée from 1928, which in turn was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Ice Maiden. It is about a boy who is rescued during a snowstorm by a fairy’s kiss. He grows up into a handsome young man, but on the eve of his wedding the fairy returns to claim him, sealing his fate with an icy kiss. Ratmansky – who is currently artist in residence with New York City Ballet – adds a distinctive extra storyline to the fairy tale. His poignant The Fairy’s Kiss – with wonderful sets and costumes by Jérôme Kaplan – is also about a choreographer who cannot escape his fate.