Ballet
The Prodigal Son
This is early Balanchine, made for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes right before the whole company fell apart, and it still packs a punch. It takes the biblical parable and turns it into something vivid, sensual, and genuinely moving. The ending, when the broken son crawls home, gets people every single time.
Fast facts
- Composer
- Sergei Prokofiev
- Choreographer
- George Balanchine
- Premiere
- 1929, Paris
- Structure
- One act (three scenes)
- Running time
- About 40 minutes
The story
Based on the biblical parable, the ballet follows a restless young man who leaves his father's house seeking adventure. He falls in with a band of grotesque revelers and a cold, serpentine Siren who seduces and then robs him, leaving him stripped of everything. Humbled and ruined, he drags himself home, where his father wordlessly takes him back in a final image of forgiveness.
What The Prodigal Son is famous for
- The seductive, acrobatic Siren pas de deux
- Its stylized, grotesque band of revelers
- The devastating crawl home at the end
- Being a surviving masterpiece from the Ballets Russes
Companies that perform The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son is in the repertoire of companies including New York City Ballet.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Prodigal Son based on the Bible?
Yes. It's drawn from the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke, about a young man who squanders everything and is welcomed home by his father.
Who created it?
George Balanchine choreographed it in 1929 for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, to a score by Sergei Prokofiev. It was one of the last works the company premiered before Diaghilev died.
What's the Siren's role?
The Siren is the seductress who lures and then helps strip the Prodigal of his money and dignity. Her long, slinky duet with him is one of the most famous passages in the ballet.
Who composed The Prodigal Son?
The Prodigal Son was composed by Sergei Prokofiev.
How long is The Prodigal Son?
The Prodigal Son runs about 40 minutes.