Birthday Offering

Choreography by Frederick Ashton
Music by Alexander Glazunov
Arranged and Orchestrated by Robert Irving
Costumes by André Levasseur
Lighting by Steven Shelley
Staged by Helen Crawford

Created in 1956 by Frederick Ashton for The Royal Ballet’s 25th anniversary, Birthday Offering featured seven of the company’s leading ballerinas: Elaine Fifield, Rowena Jackson, Svetlana Beriosova, Nadia Nerina, Violetta Elvin, Beryl Grey, and Margot Fonteyn. Each had a solo tailored to highlight their unique gifts and artistry. Set to the lush, radiant, and warmly orchestral music of Alexander Glazunov, the ballet balances elegance with energy, and today’s dancers rise to the challenge of inhabiting these storied roles.