The Dying Swan

The Dying Swan (Russian Умирающий лебедь ) is an expressive dance solo ( Pas seul ) of the choreographer Michel Fokine for the prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, the music of the cello solo Le Cygne from Le carnaval des animaux (1886 ) by Camille Saint- Saëns. The length is just over three minutes.

The title was first simply Lebed (Russian: The Swan) and written at the request Pavlova. During a charity event got the choreography on December 22, 1905 Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg for the premiere. The swan costume came from Léon Bakst.

Templates and design

The figure of the dying swan inspired by the ballet Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Odile / Odette, as an enchanted swan princess, sacrifices himself there for her Prince Siegfried. Especially the swan costumes premieres were similar. - When another source is often called the poem The dying Swan ( 1830) by Alfred Tennyson.

The dance consists mostly of Pas de bourrée, accompanied by the beating of wings of the arms. Famous is especially the finishing position of the solos on the left knee while the be merged over the outstretched right leg arms like wings and the head is secure in it. Fokine joined in elements of classical ballet with newer forms of movement, which had mainly introduced Isadora Duncan.

Michel Fokine wrote that he had responded with this choreography that he had previously been accused of " because of the use of barfüßigem dance of denial of superior technology ." He had therefore want to combine the " old technology " with the " dance of the whole body and not alone of the members ."

Reception

The dance number was the symbol of a death in the utmost grace - but also for the vanity and falsehood of some stars of the stage. The motive of the Dying Swan has often been used and is particularly well suited for parodies. The music of Saint- Saëns was originally in the context of an animal parody revue.

To date, the solo is often danced. The ballerina Maya Plisetskaya thus entered on into old age. 1917 turned Yevgeni Bauer a movie melodrama entitled The Dying Swan, which contains the dance number.

In modified form, the solo is also common in figure skating, as shown by Sonja Henie. As a parody name of the Dying Swan is also a fake foul in football, see Martin ( football).

Phrase

Making the dying swan means " suffer especially theatrical ." Can also " (flat) darliegen " or " broken / worthless / useless be " mean.