Fancy Free is a ballet by Jerome Robbins, subsequently ballet master of New York City Ballet, made on Ballet Theatre, predecessor of American Ballet Theatre, to a score by Leonard Bernstein, with scenery by Oliver Smith, costumes by Kermit Love and lighting by Ronald Bates.
What is the ballet Fancy Free about?
This is all within the first 10 minutes of Jerome Robbins’s Fancy Free, a 1944 ballet about three sailors frolicking on shore leave during World War II, beloved by many and still regularly performed (especially during the last year, since 2018 was the centennial celebration of Robbins’s birth).
What inspired Fancy Free?
The plot of the 1944 musical comedy ON THE TOWN (not the music) was inspired by the ballet which had preceed it by nine months: FANCY FREE. From the moment the action begins, with the sound of a juke box wailing behind the curtain,* the ballet is strictly young wartime America, 1944.
Who choreographed Fancy Free?
Jerome Robbins
When Jerome Robbins’ first ballet, Fancy Free, premiered in New York on April 18, 1944, it proved to be one of the most exciting evenings in the history of ballet in America, marking the emergence of three new American talents: choreographer Jerome Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein, and designer Oliver Smith.
What does it mean to be footloose and fancy free?
Having no attachments, especially romantic ones, and free to do as one pleases. For example, When I was in my twenties, footloose and fancy-free, I would travel at the drop of a hat. Both of these words have long been used separately; their pairing dates only from the 1900s.
What does the term fight fire with fire mean?
Definition of fight fire with fire : to fight against an opponent by using the same methods or weapons that the opponent uses.
What does drop of a hat mean?
See synonyms for at the drop of a hat on Thesaurus.com. Immediately, without delay, as in We were ready to pack our bags and go on vacation at the drop of a hat. This phrase probably alludes to signaling the start of a race or other contest by dropping a hat. [
Why you shouldn’t fight fire with fire?
These editors can be most maddening, especially with their tendency to fly into personal attacks. When this happens, you may find yourself angered and tempted to respond, to throw fire back at the fire-starter. Unfortunately, this is the worst tactic to use: anger breeds more anger, fire more fire.
What does the proverb fire is a good servant but a bad master mean?
Prov. You must be careful to use fire wisely and under control so that it will not hurt you.
What is the meaning of idiom beat around the bush?
To avoid getting to the point of an issue: “Your worries have nothing to do with the new proposal. Stop beating around the bush, and cast your vote!”
What is the meaning of last straw?
Definition of the final/last straw : the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.
Who first said fight fire with fire?
Shakespeare might have created the “fire with fire” part, but it seems by the time Western novels rolled out in the 1840s and 1850s, it had become “fight fire with fire.” Some of you might be wondering what it would actually look like to start an actual fire when another one was already burning.
How many ballet companies have performed in Fancy Free?
Throughout the Leonard Bernstein Centennial, which coincided with Robbins’ centennial, Fancy Free had 96 performances by major ballet companies, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Opera de Paris Ballet, among others.
What inspired Leonard Bernstein’s on the town?
The plot of the 1944 musical comedy ON THE TOWN ( not the music) was inspired by the ballet which had preceed it by nine months: FANCY FREE. 1944 was a big New York year in Leonard Bernstein’s composing life.
Is Fancy Free a symphonic piece?
The seven scenes of Fancy Free actually are symphonic pieces, but ballet audiences do not react to them as such, so well integrated is the music with the inventiveness of the choreography. Only in concert performances or on recordings does the symphonic character become more evident, acting as a foil for the carefree high jinks of the plot.
