It is considered Lander's most famous choreographic work and brought him international fame.
The work premiered on 15 January 1948 at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen with the Royal Danish Ballet, with scenery and costumes by Rolf Gerard and lighting by Nananne Porcher.
It begins with traditional ballet exercises at the barre and ends with spectacular bravura displays.
Its ABT premiere at the 54th Street Theatre in New York took place on 5 October 1961 and featured dancers Toni Lander, Royes Fernandez, Bruce Marks, Eleanor D'Antuono and Elisabeth Carroll.
The order of the various sections of the ballet, as recorded by the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky in 1997, include: Overture (exercises at the barre) Tendus, Grands battements, fondus and frappes Ronds de jambe Silhouetter-au milieu Adagio Port de Bras et pas de badin Mirror Dance Ensemble Romantic Pas de deux Sortie Conclusion Pirouettes Releves Piques et grands pirouettes Solo for the Prima Ballerina Coda Small Leaps Mazurka Tarantella Broad Leaps (Finale) Notes Sources