Afternoon of a Faun (Robbins)
Afternoon of a Faun is a ballet made by Jerome Robbins, subsequently ballet master of New York City Ballet, to Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. The premiere took place on 14 May 1953 at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, with scenery and lighting by Jean Rosenthal and costumes by Irene Sharaff. It is originated by Tanaquil LeClercq and Francisco Moncion. This piece is dedicated to Le Clercq. LeClercq's costume was not by Sharaff. It was made for her by her mother, Edith Le Clercq.
Robbins' setting differs from the original version by Vaslav Nijinsky by placing the danseur in a ballet studio, lounging on the floor. A ballerina enters and they dance facing the audience as though looking into the mirrored wall of the studio. He kisses his partner on the cheek and she bourrées out of the studio and off-stage. He returns to his initial supine position.
Other companies that had performed the ballet include The Royal Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Paris Opera Ballet.Casts
In 2016, The Royal Ballet released a video of Afternoon of a Faun on a DVD, danced by Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov.
In light of the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, Paris Opera Ballet released a recording, as a part of the Tribute to Jerome Robbins program. New York City Ballet released a recording featuring Sterling Hyltin and Joseph Gordon, recorded in 2018. It was Gordon's debut of the ballet.
