Works

Bluebird pas de deux from 'Aurora's Wedding': Belinda Wright and John Gilpin during the Australia tour, c.1948. Photo © Jean Stewart.

Aurora's Wedding (Petipa, 1928): Frederick Ashton, Pearl Argyle, William Chappell, Andrée Howard, Rupert Doone, Alicia Markova, Antony Tudor, Prudence Hyman, Robert Stuart and Diana Gould at the Mercury Theatre. Photographer unknown. RDC/PD/01/0019/01

Aurora's Wedding (Petipa, 1928): Maude Lloyd and Hugh Laing in the Grand Pas de Deux, at the Mercury Theatre. Photographer unknown. RDC/PD/01/0019/01

Alternative title: Fairy Tales from ''The Sleeping Beauty''

Choreographer: Marius Petipa

Composer: Piotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

Costume designer: Andrée Howard

Rambert premiere: 20 Dec 1930, Marie Rambert Dancers, Lyric Hammersmith, London

World premiere: 15 Jan 1890, Imperial Russian Ballet, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia

Work note: The Rambert company performed selections from 'The Sleeping Beauty', never the full ballet. In 1928, individual variations were danced as divertissements. In 1930, a selection of variations was performed under the title 'Fairy Tales from The Sleeping Beauty' (it included the Sugar Plum Fairy solo from 'The Nutcracker'). From 1931, 'Aurora's Wedding' was used as the title for a varying selection of dances, including those from earlier acts in 'The Sleeping Beauty' (not only Act III) as well as from 'The Nutcracker', typically the Chinese Dance (Danse Chinoise) and the Grand pas de deux (Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux). The Blue Bird pas de deux from Act III of 'The Sleeping Beauty' was often performed as a separate work. In the early 1930s, its title was given as 'Bluebird and the Prince' or 'Blue Bird and the Prince', but by the mid-1930s, the title became simply 'Bluebird' or 'Blue Bird'.

Production note: In 1928, Susan Salaman designed the costumes worn by Diana Gould, Andrée Howard, and Elizabeth Millar in the divertissements.

Revival credits: 1947 revival of 'Bluebird': Costume designer: Harry Cordwell

Music title: The Sleeping Beauty, Opus 66 (1889)

Music details: Live music: initially piano, later a chamber orchestra

Source: Programmes and reference file in the Rambert Archive

Archive catalogue: WORK/0019; WORK/0013

Performances

Date ↿↾	Programme ↿⇂	Venue ↿⇂
21 Nov 1949 Evening	Les Sylphides \| Don Quixote (Pas de deux Classique) \| L'Après-midi d'un Faune \| La Mort du Cygne \| Capriccio Espagnol^* \| Blue Bird (Pas de deux Classique) \| Giselle Act II	Empress Hall, London
14 Jun 1937 Evening	Our Lady's Juggler \| Valse Romantique No. 1 (Chabrier) \| L'Après-midi d'un faune \| Passionate Pavane \| Bluebird \| The Lady of Shalott \| Suite of Airs \| Death and the Maiden \| Valse Romantique No. 3 (Chabrier) \| Le Cricket \| Le Rugby	Birmingham Repertory Theatre
10 Jun 1937 Evening	The Strike of Wives \| Bluebird \| Death and the Maiden \| The Planets \| La Muse s'Amuse \| Valse Caprice (Rubenstein) \| Capriol Suite	Birmingham Repertory Theatre
10 Jun 1937 Matinee	The Strike of Wives \| Valse Romantique No. 2 (Chabrier) \| Bluebird \| Death and the Maiden \| The Planets \| La Muse s'Amuse \| Valse Caprice (Rubenstein) \| Capriol Suite	Birmingham Repertory Theatre
10 Jun 1936 Evening	The Planets \| Valses Nobles et Sentimentales \| Mermaid \| Bluebird \| L'Après-midi d'un faune \| Bar aux Folies-Bergère	Birmingham Repertory Theatre
9 Jun 1936 Evening	The Planets \| Valses Nobles et Sentimentales \| Mermaid \| Bluebird \| L'Après-midi d'un faune \| Bar aux Folies-Bergère	Birmingham Repertory Theatre
10 Nov 1935 Evening	Dances from Aurora's Wedding \| The Rape of the Lock^* \| The Planets	Mercury Theatre, London
1 Jan 1933 Evening	Aurora's Wedding \| Prelude in D Major (Rachmaninoff) \| Prelude in G Sharp Minor (Rachmaninoff) \| Pavane pour une Infante Défunte^* \| Mercury \| Menuet from ''Suite Bergamasque'' (Debussy) \| Le Rugby \| A Florentine Picture \| Foyer de Danse	Mercury Theatre, London
27 Nov 1932 Evening	''Valse'' from Les Sylphides \| ''Fée Dragée'' from Aurora's Wedding \| The Shepherd's Wooing (from 'The Gods go a-begging') \| ''Pas de Deux'' from Mr Roll's Military Quadrilles \| ''Desperate Blues''^* \| A Florentine Picture \| Le Spectre de la Rose \| ''Russian Peasant'	Mercury Theatre, London
20 Mar 1932 Evening	Aurora's Wedding \| Lysistrata or The Strike of Wives^* \| Mars and Venus \| Façade	Mercury Theatre, 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
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
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
16 Feb 1931 Evening	Dances from Carnaval \| Le Cricket \| La Péri^* \| Russian Peasant Dance \| The Mannequin and her Beau \| Saudade do Brésil \| A Florentine Picture \| Le Boxing^* \| Aurora's Wedding	Mercury Theatre, 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Performance Database

Performances

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