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DANCE ST. LOUI S | COL L AG E DA N C E CO L L E C TI V E
FIREBIRD REIMAGINED Mikhail Fokine’s “The Firebird”: The Fire Bird was first commissioned by Sergei
sends his minions after Ivan, he summons the Firebird. She intervenes and bewitches the monsters.
Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and had its premiere
Exhausted, the creatures and Koschei then fall into
in 1910 at the Paris Opéra with choreography by
a deep sleep. While they sleep, the Firebird directs
Mikhail Fokine’s and music score by Igor Stravinsky.
Ivan to a tree stump where the casket with the egg
In the original ballet that was based off of old
containing Koschei’s soul is hidden. Ivan destroys the
Russian folk tales, while hunting in the forest, Prince
egg, and with the spell broken and Koschei dead, the
Ivan strays into the magical realm of the evil Koschei
magical creatures that Koschei held captive are freed.
the Immortal, whose immortality is preserved by
All of the beings, including the princesses, awaken
keeping his soul in a magic egg hidden in a casket.
and with one final hint of the Firebird’s music.
While hunting, Ivan chases and captures the Firebird, and is about to kill her when she begs for her life and offers him an enchanted feather that he can use to summon her should he be in dire need.
Collage Dance Collective ”The Firebird”: In Collage Dance Collective’s version of The Firebird
Prince Ivan then meets thirteen princesses who are
with choreography by Kevin Thomas, the setting of
under the spell of Koschei and falls in love with one
the ballet takes place in Africa in a mythical forest
of them. The next day, Ivan confronts the magician
called Tokoloshe. The word Tokoloshe comes from the
and eventually they begin quarrelling. When Koschei
Zulu/XhosaI culture in South Africa which means evil.
MIKHAIL FOKINE’S “THE FIREBIRD”
COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE’S “THE FIREBIRD”
Source: Edward Watson as Ivan Tsarevich and Yasmine Naghdi as The Firebird in The Firebird, The Royal Ballet © 2019 ROH. Photograph by Tristram Kenton
Photo: Collage Dance Collective
