Ballet
Carmen
You know the opera, now meet the ballet that somehow makes Carmen even hotter. Roland Petit built this in 1949 for his company Ballets de Paris, and it caused a real stir with how sultry and modern it felt. If you want a short, punchy, scandalous little drama, this is your pick.
Fast facts
- Composer
- Georges Bizet (arranged for ballet)
- Choreographer
- Roland Petit (1949); the Petit version is by far the most famous, though many choreographers have set Carmen
- Premiere
- 1949, London
- Structure
- One act (five scenes)
- Running time
- About 40 minutes
The story
Petit distills the familiar story into a handful of sharp scenes: the free-spirited Carmen seduces the soldier Don Jose, pulls him into her world of smugglers and street life, and then moves on to the dashing toreador. Consumed by jealousy, Jose follows her and the whole thing ends in a knife and a dead body outside the bullring. It is less a full retelling than a series of charged, stylized snapshots driven by desire and doom.
What Carmen is famous for
- Roland Petit's sexy, modern 1949 staging
- The provocative bedroom pas de deux
- Bizet's melodies in a danced form
- A signature role for Zizi Jeanmaire
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same story as the Carmen opera?
Same source story, yes, but Petit trims it down to the essentials and tells it through dance rather than singing. The music is Bizet arranged for ballet.
Why is Roland Petit's version the famous one?
Because it was genuinely shocking for 1949 and has stayed in the repertory ever since. Its frank sensuality and clean dramatic storytelling made it a modern classic.
Is it a full-length ballet?
No, it is a compact one-act piece, usually running around 40 minutes, so it often shares a program with other short works.
Who composed Carmen?
Carmen was composed by Georges Bizet (arranged for ballet).
How long is Carmen?
Carmen runs about 40 minutes.