Les Rendezvous

Les Rendezvous was Ashton’s first major work for the Vic-Wells company (now The Royal Ballet). The ballet suggests a gathering in a park: against Jasper Conran’s elegant backdrop (inspired by William Chappell’s original designs), a group of young people meet, flirt, and then leave. The geometric floor patterns and angled entrances of Les Rendezvous recall the formations of Petipa’s ballet classics, however, Les Rendezvous also featured what would later become Ashtonian choreographic signatures: fleet footwork and an expressive use of the upper body known as épaulment. Set to Constant Lambert’s arrangement of music by Daniel Auber, Les Rendezvous premiered on 5 December 1933 with Alicia Markova and Stanislas Idzikowski in the lead roles. 

To find out more about the Frederick Ashton: read our Creative Spotlight: Frederick Ashton