''Birthday Offering'' is a pièce d'occasion in one scene choreographed by Frederick Ashton to music by

Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...

, arranged by Robert Irving. The ballet was created in 1956, to celebrate the

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

's 25th anniversary. The first performance took place on 5 May 1956 at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, London.

Original cast

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells T ...

Beryl Grey Dame Beryl Elizabeth Grey (née Groom; 11 June 1927 – 10 December 2022) was a British ballet dancer. Early life Born in Highgate, London, she began dance classes at the age of four while attending Sherbourne Preparatory School, and by age eig ...

* Violetta Elvin *

Nadia Nerina Nadia is a female name. Variations include Nadja, Nadya, Nadine, Nadiya, and Nadiia. Most variations of the name are derived from Arabic, Slavic languages, or both. In Slavic, names similar to ''Nadia'' mean "hope" in many Slavic languages: Uk ...

Rowena Jackson Rowena Othlie Jackson (also known as Chatfield; born 24 March 1926) is a New Zealand former prima ballerina. Early life Jackson was born in Invercargill on 24 March 1926 to William Ernest Jackson and Lilian Jane, née Solomon. As a young chil ...

Svetlana Beriosova Svetlana Nikolayevna Beriosova (russian: Светла́на Никола́евна Берёзова; 24 September 1932 – 10 November 1998), also spelled Beriozova or Beryozova, was a Lithuanian-British prima ballerina who danced with The Royal B ...

Elaine Fifield Elaine Fifield (28 October 1930 - 11 May 1999) was an Australian ballerina, perhaps best known for creating the title role in John Cranko's comic ballet ''Pineapple Poll'' in 1951. Early life Elaine Fifield was born in Sydney, New South Wales o ...

Michael Somes Michael George Somes CBE (28 September 191718 November 1994), was an English ballet dancer. He was a principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, London, and the frequent partner of Margot Fonteyn. Early years Somes was born in Horsley, Gloucestersh ...

* Alexander Grant *

Brian Shaw Brian Keith Shaw (born March 22, 1966) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play both guard positions, but wa ...

* Philip Chatfield * David Blair *

Desmond Doyle Desmond Doyle (1924–1986) was an Irish painter and professional pianist, whose children (Evelyn, Maurice, Noel, John, Kevin, and Dermot) were taken into the custody of the Ireland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). Back ...

* Bryan Ashbridge Source: dead link

Order of numbers

In a sumptuous setting, seven couples make a grand entrance, then the women perform a series of seven solo variations. The men dance a bravura mazurka, the principal couple performs an elegant ''pas de deux'', and the ballet ends with a final waltz for the entire ensemble.Matthew Naughtin, ''Ballet Music'', 2014, p. 165. # Overture: "L'Eté" from ''The Seasons'', Op. 67 # Valse de concert No. 1, Op. 47 # Pas d'action from ''Scènes de ballet'', Op. 52, and Coda from ''Ruses d'amour'', Op. 61 # 1st variation: "Marionettes" from ''Scènes de ballet'' # 2nd variation: "La Givre" from ''The Seasons'' # 3rd variation: "La Glace" from ''The Seasons'' # 4th variation: "La Grêle" from ''The Seasons'' # 5th variation: "La Neige" from ''The Seasons'' # 6th variation: "L'Eté" from ''The Seasons'' # 7th variation: from ''Ruses d'amour'' # Mazurka, Op. 25 No. 3, (orchestrated by Robert Irving) # Pas de deux; "Grand pas des fiancées" from ''Ruses d'amour'' # Finale: Valse de concert No. 1, reprise

References

Notes Sources * Naughtin, Matthew (2014). ''Ballet Music''. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. {{DEFAULTSORT:Birthday Offering Ballets by Frederick Ashton Ballets to the music of Alexander Glazunov 1956 ballet premieres Ballets created for The Royal Ballet