Music by Cesare Pugni, arranged by Riccardo Drigo
Choreography by Ben Stevenson
Costumes by Ray Delle Robbins
Lighting by Tony Tucci

TIMING: 14:00

This pas de deux received its American Ballet Theatre Company at City Center, New York on October 24, 2001, danced by Nina Ananiashvili and Jose Manuel Carreño.

Ben Stevenson choreographed the Esmeralda pas de deux for Janie Parker and William Pizzuto for the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi where it received its World Premiere on July 3, 1982.

This pas de deux was given its first performance by the Houston Ballet at Jesse Jones Hall, Houston on November 18, 1982, danced by the same cast. A previous presentation of this pas de deux, staged by Nicholas Beriosoff, from the original of Jules Perrot received its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the NewYork State Theater, New York on March 19, 1965 danced by Lupe Serrano and John Gilpin. This pas de duex was part of Beriosoff’s full-length production of La Esmeralda which received its world premiere by the London Festival Ballet at the Royal Festival Hall, London on July 15, 1954 danced by Natalie Krassovska (Esmeralda), John Gilpin (Gringoire), Keith Becket (Quasimodo), Anton Dolin (Frollo), Oleg Briansky (Phoebus) and Belinda Wright (Fleur de Lys).

The World Premiere of the original production, in three acts and five scenes, was given at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London on March 9, 1844, danced by Carlotta Grisi (Esmeralda), Julie Perrot (Gringoire) and Antoine Louis Coulon (Quasimodo).

A version of this ballet had its first performance in the United States by the Monplaisir Ballet Company in New York on September 18, 1848.
The plot of the original production is based on Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame and tells the story of Quasimodo’s hopeless love for the gypsy girl Esmeralda, the machinations of an evil priest, Frollo, and about how Quasimodo sacrifices his life to save Esmeralda.