April 9, 2004

Comedic Choreography: Irony With a Pointe

By MARTHA ULLMAN WEST

"Oh no, Daddy, it's not funny. It's ballet!" The young ballet student had just seen a recent, witty performance, by the Royal Ballet, of Les Biches in Portland, Ore., and was both mystified and appalled when her father laughed out loud during the performance.

Les Biches, Bronislava Nijinska's 1924 satirical treatment of the interactions of what these days are called the beautiful people frolicking at a house party in the south of France, is both choreographically brilliant and

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