I'm Trapped in a Ballet Again! Quiz

Answer: Swan Lake

I'm in the "Dance of the Little Swans" in Act II. Four dancers have to execute the moves together or it's extremely obvious who's out of sync. These four are some of the swan maidens who attend Odette, the Swan Queen, a human who has been turned into a swan until a man makes her a pledge of eternal love. If he makes her a promise and then breaks it, she will remain a swan forever.

Answer: The Rite of Spring

Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" is played more in concert halls than as a ballet. The original choreography notes by Nijinsky have been lost, but the Joffrey Ballet have mostly reconstructed the steps. The ballet is about half an hour long and details the dances of a primitive tribe before a girl is sacrificed. She dances herself to death.

Answer: Paquita

Paquita, an orphan raised by gypsies, has her father's picture as the only clue to her parentage. She eventually discovers that her picture matches that of a murdered nobleman, making her nobility and thus able to marry the Prince.

Answer: Giselle

Giselle kills herself at the end of Act I when she finds out that her new beloved has no intention of marrying her. She becomes one of the Wilis, spirits of women who were jilted by their lovers.

Answer: Coppelia

For being the title character, Coppelia is a very small part. The female lead is Swanhilda, whose fiance leaves her for the mysterious woman at the window. However, when Swanhilda discovers that Coppelia is only a doll, all is forgiven and the two lovers marry.

Answer: Ivan the Terrible

This ballet was first staged by the Bolshoi. The music was originally scored by Prokofiev for Eisenstein's film "Ivan the Terrible" but was slightly altered to make it suitable for ballet. Ivan's wife Anastasia is killed by Boyars, whom Ivan kills in retribution.

Answer: Sylvia

The statue is Eros, who disguises himself as a witch in a cloak at two points. Sylvia shoots Aminta, who appeals to Eros, who then shoots Sylvia. Both survive, and apparently become lovers as a result! This Leo Delibes ballet puts an emphasis on music rather than plot. Tchaikovsky considered "Sylvia" to be superior ballet to his own because of the music.

Answer: La Sylphide

Effie is to marry James, who is enchanted by a fairy and abandons his fiancee on their wedding day. However, James doesn't get a happy ending. A witch, angry that James has kicked her out of the house, gives James a scarf that will kill the sylphide when James wraps her in it. Effie marries another admirer, Gurn, just as the witch prophesied.

Answer: Afternoon of a Faun

Luckily, I get away, while the faun is left with only my veil. Vaslov Nijinsky caused quite a stir with the suggestive choreography in this dance based on Claude Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun".

In the ballet anime "Princess Tutu", a minor character named Femio dresses in the faun's costume and dances the actual choreography to Debussy's music. The class and teacher are confused by his dancing; Femio laments that true genius is never appreciated in its own time.

Answer: Spartacus

Spartacus and I, Phrygia, are already married at the start of the show (a rarity in ballet--usually, lovers aim to marry). He incites a slave rebellion, but it doesn't turn out well. The bad guy Crassus wins, his concubine Aegina gets all the good solos, and I end up a widow!