A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the first original American full-length ballets ever created. Choreographed by George Balanchine to Felix Mendelssohn‘s music to Shakespeare’s play of the same name. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Balanchine’s first completely original full-length ballet, premiered at New York City Ballet in 1962.
Act I tells Shakespeare’s familiar story of lovers and fairies while Act II presents a strictly classical dance wedding celebration. The ballet dispenses with Shakespeare’s play-within-a-play finale.