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Premiere
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June 12, 1972, New York City Ballet, Stravinsky Festival, New York State Theater
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Circus Polka was originally choreographed by Balanchine for circus elephants, a commission from the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus. The story is told that after receiving the commission, Balanchine immediately called his friend Stravinsky, to ask him to compose the music. "What kind of music?" asked Stravinsky. "A polka." was Balanchine's reply. "For whom?" "Elephants." "How old?" "Young." "If they are very young, I'll do it." The score's dedication reads: "For a young elephant." After its premiere as a dance for pachyderms, Circus Polka was rechoreographed by Balanchine for a one-time program (danced by School of American Ballet students) entitled "Adventures in Ballet," at Carnegie Hall on November 5, 1945. The other ballets on the program were Elegie and Symphonie Concertante. In 1972, for the first Stravinsky Festival, Jerome Robbins created a new ballet — for young dance students and an adult Ringmaster — to Stravinsky's music. Robbins' ballet ends with a floor pattern which spells out the composer's initials, I.S. Since its 1972 premiere, Circus Polka has been used as a short pièce d'occasion, often with a guest Ringmaster (Mikhail Baryshnikov was a notable one). The pattern that ends the ballet changes, depending on who is being honored. In 2006, a children's book, telling the story of the ballet's creation, was published by Roaring Book Press. Click here for details.
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