Origins and Development
The ballet adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" premiered in 1962 at New York City Ballet, choreographed by George Balanchine. This was a landmark moment in ballet history, as it was one of the first full-length ballets Balanchine created specifically for American audiences. While other choreographers had previously attempted to adapt Shakespeare's magical comedy, Balanchine's version would become the definitive ballet interpretation.
Balanchine's decision to adapt this particular play was influenced by his deep appreciation of both Shakespeare and Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for the play. The choreographer had been familiar with the score since his youth in Russia, where he performed in a production of the play at the Imperial Theater School. This personal connection would later inform his choreographic choices and musical interpretation.
The Music
The ballet's score primarily consists of Mendelssohn's music from 1826-1842, including the famous Overture in E major (Op. 21) written when he was just seventeen, and the incidental music (Op. 61) composed in 1842 for a production of the play. Balanchine supplemented these pieces with selections from Mendelssohn's other works, including the Symphony No. 9 for Strings and "The First Walpurgis Night," creating a cohesive musical narrative that perfectly suited the ballet's needs.
The score's orchestration captures the mystical and whimsical nature of Shakespeare's story, with light, sprightly themes for the fairies, majestic passages for the court scenes, and romantic melodies for the lovers. The famous Wedding March, originally part of Mendelssohn's incidental music, serves as a triumphant finale to the ballet.
The Choreography
Balanchine's choreography for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" represents a masterful fusion of classical ballet technique with innovative movement vocabulary. The ballet is structured in two acts, with the first act closely following Shakespeare's plot and the second act serving as an extended wedding celebration.
The choreography is notable for its distinct characterization through movement:
- The fairy realm is represented through quick, ethereal footwork and floating port de bras
- The mortal lovers perform more grounded, dramatic movements
- Puck's role is marked by playful, acrobatic sequences
- The corps de ballet of fairies creates constantly shifting patterns that evoke the mysterious forest setting
The Story
Act I: The Enchanted Forest
The ballet opens in a mysterious moonlit forest, where butterfly-like fairies flutter through the trees. We first meet Puck, the impish sprite who serves as Oberon's jester and messenger. The fairy children who accompany the scenes create an atmosphere of magical mischief and wonder.
The Royal Quarrel
Oberon, King of the Fairies, enters into a heated argument with his queen Titania over a changeling boy in her care. This quarrel sets the entire plot in motion. Titania refuses to give up the child, leading Oberon to plot his revenge. He commands Puck to gather a magical flower called "love-in-idleness," whose juice, when applied to sleeping eyes, causes the person to fall desperately in love with the first living creature they see upon waking.
The Mortal Lovers
The story interweaves with the arrival of four young Athenians: Hermia, who is in love with Lysander but has been ordered by her father to marry Demetrius; Lysander, who plans to elope with Hermia; Helena, who desperately loves Demetrius despite his rejection; and Demetrius, who pursues Hermia while spurning Helena's affections.
The Enchantments Begin
Through a series of mishaps and magical interventions, the lovers become entangled in a web of misdirected affections. Puck's mistaken application of the love potion creates chaos among the lovers, leading to a series of increasingly frenzied dance sequences. Meanwhile, Titania is enchanted to fall in love with Bottom, a craftsman transformed into a donkey, creating one of ballet's great comedic sequences.
Act II: The Wedding Celebration
The second act opens with the restoration of order: Oberon releases Titania from her enchantment, Bottom returns to human form, and the lovers are properly paired. Unlike Shakespeare's play, Balanchine extends this act into an elaborate wedding celebration.
The celebration includes:
- A grand pas de deux for the principal couple
- Variations for the other couples
- Ensemble dances for the corps de ballet
- Solos for Oberon and Titania
- Special sequences for the fairy children
The ballet concludes with a magnificent processional using Mendelssohn's famous Wedding March, culminating in Puck's famous closing solo, after which he disappears in a shower of sparkles.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
Balanchine's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has had a profound influence on the development of American ballet and the art form as a whole. The production demonstrated that full-length story ballets could be both sophisticated and accessible to modern audiences. Balanchine's treatment of the narrative, particularly his decision to dedicate an entire act to pure dance celebration, influenced future choreographers in their approach to storytelling through ballet.
The ballet's demanding choreography, particularly for the fairy roles, raised the technical standard for dancers. The role of Oberon, with its complex beats and turns, became a benchmark for male dancers, while Titania's variations expanded the possibilities for female classical technique.
The original production's costumes by Karinska and sets by David Hays established new standards for ballet production design, influencing how future productions would approach the visualization of supernatural elements in ballet.
Contemporary Relevance
Today, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" remains one of the most frequently performed story ballets worldwide. Its themes of love, magic, and reconciliation continue to resonate with modern audiences, while its technical challenges and artistic demands ensure its status as a cornerstone of classical ballet repertoire.
Modern productions have continued to find new ways to interpret the work, whether through updated designs, alternative musical arrangements, or subtle choreographic modifications. However, the essential structure and spirit of Balanchine's original conception remain intact, testament to the enduring power of his vision.
The ballet continues to serve as a bridge between classical tradition and modern sensibility, demonstrating how centuries-old stories can be transformed through the medium of dance into experiences that speak to contemporary audiences while preserving the magical essence of Shakespeare's original work.