Performance Database

Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Composer: Eugene Goossens
Music arranger: Ernest Irving
Set designer: Sophie Fedorovitch
Costume designer: Sophie Fedorovitch
World premiere: 15 Jun 1926, Pupils of Madame Marie Rambert, Lyric Hammersmith, London
Work note: The revue 'Riverside Nights', produced by Nigel Playfair, opened on 10 April 1926 at the Lyric Hammersmith, London. Ashton's ballet was added on 15 June and performed for about six weeks (according to author David Vaughan). The four dancers had the main roles, with the actors in the revue playing the parts of the dressmaker's two customers. The school was not named on the programme. The Marie Rambert Dancers subsequently performed the female solos as 'Mannequin Dance' and 'Le Modele Blanc'. The 'Mannequin Dance' was also incorporated into 'Mannequin and Her Beau' (Rambert/Ashton, 1928).
Production note: Story by Ashley Dukes
Revival credits: 1986 revival of 'Mannequin Dance': Lighting designer: Sid Ellen
Music title: Kaleidoscope for Piano, Opus 18 (1917), performed in this order: 1. Good Morning, 5. The Rocking Horse, 3. The Hurdy-Gurdy Man, 11. A Merry Party, 8. The Old Musical Box, 10. Lament to a Departed Doll, 12. Good-Night, 4. March of the Wooden Soldier, 2. Promenade, 9. The Clockwork Dancer (followed by a short piece of music not from Kaleidoscope), 6. The Punch and Judy Show, 7. Ghost Story
Music details: Live music: flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass
Source: Programme and reference file in the Rambert Archive; Vaughan, D. 'Frederick Ashton and His Ballets' (Alfred A. Knopf, 1977)
Archive catalogue: WORK/0011

Performances

Date ↿⇂ Programme ↿⇂ Venue ↿⇂
15 Jun 1926
Evening 		A Tragedy of Fashion (or ''The Scarlet Scissors'') (A Ballet)* Lyric Hammersmith, London
9 Mar 1928
Matinee 		Russian Dance* | Flight of Swans | The Warrior* | Chinese Dance | The Top* | Followers of Night | Cygnets* | Menuet* | Mannequin | Pas de Deux* | Mazurka* | Doll* | Nymphs and Shepherds | A la ''Biches''* | Mazurka Finale* The Arts Theatre Club, London
9 Mar 1928
Evening 		Russian Dance* | Flight of Swans | The Warrior* | Chinese Dance | The Top* | Followers of Night | Cygnets* | Menuet* | Mannequin | Pas de Deux* | Mazurka* | Doll* | Nymphs and Shepherds | A la ''Biches''* | Mazurka Finale* The Arts Theatre Club, London
10 Mar 1928
Time unknown 		Russian Dance | Flight of Swans | The Warrior | Followers of Night | Mannequin | Mannequin and Her Beau | Nymphs and Shepherds Mercury Theatre, London
21 Dec 1928
Evening 		Danse Chinoise | Columbine | Variation | Variation | Cygnets | Colibri | Fée Dragée | Blue Bird | Variation | Red Riding Hood | La Pomme d'Or (The Temptation) | Nymphs and Shepherds (Suite de Danses) | Mannequin and her Beau | Rigaudon* | Polka* | The Russian Peasant* | Warrior Century Theatre, London
25 Feb 1930
Matinee 		Leda and the Swan* | Entrée de Cupidon | Gavotte Joyeuse | Gavotte Sentimentale | L'Indifferent | Flight of Swans | Russian Peasant | Mannequin | The Ballet of Mars and Venus | Capriol Suite* | Our Lady's Juggler* Lyric Hammersmith, London
23 Jun 1930
Evening 		Leda and the Swan | La Belle Viennoise | Saudade do Brésil* | Mannequin | Mademoiselle de Maupin* | Our Lady's Juggler | Les Sylphides* | Capriol Suite | Russian Peasant | ''I Can't Abear a Butcher''* | Le Rugby* | Mazurka des Hussars* | Galop* Lyric Hammersmith, London
20 Dec 1930
Evening 		Carnaval* | Cricket* | Rugby | A Florentine Picture* | Le Spectre de la Rose | Les Sylphides | Capriol Suite | Shepherd's Hornpipe | Fairy Tales from ''The Sleeping Beauty'' | Mannequin | Farrucca | Final Galop Lyric Hammersmith, London
22 Dec 1930
Evening 		Carnaval | Cricket | Rugby | A Florentine Picture | Le Spectre de la Rose | Les Sylphides | Capriol Suite | Shepherd's Hornpipe | Fairy Tales from ''The Sleeping Beauty'' | Mannequin | Farrucca | Final Galop Lyric Hammersmith, London
3 Jan 1931
Evening 		Carnaval | Cricket | Rugby | A Florentine Picture | Le Spectre de la Rose | Les Sylphides | Capriol Suite | Shepherd's Hornpipe | Fairy Tales from ''The Sleeping Beauty'' | Mannequin | Farrucca | Final Galop Lyric Hammersmith, London
5 Jan 1931
Evening 		Carnaval | Cricket | Rugby | A Florentine Picture | Le Spectre de la Rose | Les Sylphides | Capriol Suite | Primavera* | Fairy Tales from ''The Sleeping Beauty'' | Mannequin | Final Galop Lyric Hammersmith, London
15 Jun 1931
Evening 		Les Sylphides | Mars and Venus | Waterloo and the Crimea* | L'Après-midi d'un faune | Gavotte Sentimentale | Russian Pedlar | La Belle Ecuyère | Variation from ''Swan Lake'' | Circus Dance | Mannequin | Farrucca | Mademoiselle Maupin | Mazurka Finale Lyric Hammersmith, London
22 Jun 1931
Evening 		Carnaval | Le Boxing | Waterloo and the Crimea | Mercury* | Pavane | Russian Peasant | La Belle Ecuyère | Variation from ''Swan Lake'' | Blue Bird | Mannequin | Mademoiselle de Maupin | Mazurka Finale Lyric Hammersmith, London
10 Oct 1931
Evening 		Les Sylphides | Songs (The Moussorgsky Vocal Quartet) | Le Rugby | Dances from ''The Three Cornered Hat'' | Capriol Suite | La Péri | Chinese Magician | Songs (The Moussorgsky Vocal Quartet) | Mars and Venus | Russian Boyard Dance | American Sailor | Mannequin | Peasants' Frolic New Theatre, London
11 Jun 1986
Evening 		Mercure* | Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan | The Mannequin Dance | 'Unsquare Dance' from 'It's a Raggy Waltz' | 'Popular Song' from 'Façade' | 'Duet' from 'Concertino' | Soirée Musicale | Judgment of Paris | Java Sadler's Wells Theatre, London