Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy's Kiss)
Geneviève Guillot and Efimoff perform in Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy's Kiss) at the Paris Opéra, portraying the ballet's enchanting blend of romance, magic, and destiny.
QUICK F A C T S
- ✦ Premiere: 1928
✦ Choreographer: Bronislava Nijinska
✦ Composer: Igor Stravinsky (based on melodies by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
✦ Inspired By: Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Ice Maiden
✦ Theme: Destiny, supernatural love, and the inescapable pull of fate
✦ Status: Still performed today by ballet companies around the world
Tamara Toumanova and Kalibounyj perform in Le Baiser de la fée at the Paris Opéra, bringing Stravinsky's haunting fairy tale ballet to life on stage.
S U M M A R Y
Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy's Kiss) is a magical ballet inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Ice Maiden. Premiering in 1928, the ballet features choreography by Bronislava Nijinska and a score by Igor Stravinsky, who based the music on melodies by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as a tribute to the great composer. The story follows a young boy who is marked by a mysterious fairy at birth, setting him on a path shaped by destiny, love, and sacrifice.
Stravinsky_Igor_Postcard-1910
Devon Carney and Elaine Bauer perform Bruce Wells' Ice Maiden, a ballet inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale that also served as the inspiration for Stravinsky's The Fairy's Kiss.
Years later, the boy has grown into a young man preparing to marry his beloved. Just as happiness seems within reach, the Fairy returns to claim the promise made long ago with her magical kiss. Disguised as a beautiful young woman, she lures him away from his wedding celebration and into her enchanted world. In the ballet's poignant ending, the Fairy embraces him once more, revealing that his fate has always belonged to her rather than the human world.
Today, The Fairy's Kiss is admired for its haunting atmosphere, expressive choreography, and richly emotional music. Although it is performed less often than Stravinsky's The Firebird, Petrushka, or The Rite of Spring, it remains a favorite among dancers and audiences who appreciate its blend of fairy tale fantasy and bittersweet romance. The ballet's themes of destiny, love, and the power of the supernatural continue to give it a timeless appeal for modern audiences.
Portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose melodies inspired Igor Stravinsky's score for Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy's Kiss).
E N C O R E
✦ A Tribute to Tchaikovsky – Igor Stravinsky composed The Fairy's Kiss using themes from lesser-known works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, honoring the composer he greatly admired.
✦ A Fairy Tale with a Twist – Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Ice Maiden, the ballet transforms a traditional fairy tale into a bittersweet story about destiny, love, and sacrifice.
✦ A Lasting Legacy – Though performed less frequently than Stravinsky's The Firebird or Petrushka, The Fairy's Kiss remains treasured for its emotional storytelling, elegant choreography, and enchanting score.