Educational Events

How does a majestic lion, chirping birds, shimmering fish, or a noble swan sound? Can the slowness of a turtle be musically conveyed? You can find out through our latest ballet performance for children, "The Carnival of the Animals," based on the suite by Camille Saint-Saëns. The composer brilliantly illustrates the characteristics of various animals through music, although one of the pieces is titled "Pianists." Despite the great humor present in "The Carnival of the Animals," Saint-Saëns prohibited the complete performance of this work during his lifetime. Why? As a serious composer and musical genius who gave his first concert at the age of five and began his studies at the Paris Conservatory at thirteen, he did not want to be known for what he himself termed a zoological fantasy. Fate, however, played a trick on Camille, and it is "The Swan" or "The Elephant" from the Carnival that come to mind when his name is mentioned.