Comparing The Dances Of La Source By George Balanchine

When comparing different ballet performances, you look at more than just the way the performers dance. You look at the location, use of the stage, force and speed behind each movement, costumes, and the props used. The performance that seemed very different from Firebird in almost all aspects was the first performance of the night, La Source. The ballets of La Source, Komoreibu, and Firebird were performed at the Koger Center on November 10 and 11, 2016.
La Source is choreographed by George Balanchine and is set up into three different acts, as we only viewed one act in the performance. In the first act, Nouredda is on her way to marry the Khan of Ghendjib where she catches a glimpse of a flower growing. Djemil goes to pick the flower for …show more content…
The story of Firebird is set in a forest of Kostchel. The firebird appears and begins taking fruit off of the tree. Ivan Tsarevitch watches her steal the fruit and catches her and will not let her go. Tsarevitch finally lets the firebird go when she offers him her magic feather and says she will return and help him if he is ever in danger. Tsarevna and the four maidens walk into the garden and the four maidens begin to pick apples, while Tsarevna hides. As he emerges he is told to leave because he is trespassing into the garden of Kostchel, but instead, he confesses his love for Firebird. Tsarevitch opens the gates and allows the monsters to rush from them along with Kostchel. Ivan waves the magic feather that Firebird gave him when Kostchel tries to capture him. The firebird comes out of nowhere and forces the monsters to dance until they are too tired to dance anymore and fall asleep. Ivan steals the egg and throws it on the ground breaking the spell of the princess, the egg contains Kostchel’s soul. The princess is happy because the spell is broken and the Tsarevna and Ivan get married with the firebirds …show more content…
As well as the force behind each movement the force was a lot harder than in La Source. The speed of the dance was fastest when groups came out together and when firebird and Ivan were trying to fight off the monsters. The costumes the dancers wore in Firebird were a lot more elaborate and not as traditional as in the other dances and ballets I have seen. The colors were a lot more loud and bright than the typical light pink that is worn. Each individual person almost had a different costume and looked a little different in their own way. The groups still wore the same costumes but did not look as uniform as in La