Today is the birthday of ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Get your toes tapping with 12 works written or adapted for the Ballets Russes. You know you need the exercise.

MAURICE RAVEL, “DAPHNIS ET CHLOE”
Shepherds, pirates, and Pan!

NIKOLAI TCHEREPNIN, “NARCISSE ET ECHO”
Tcherepnin was actually Diaghilev’s first choice to compose “The Firebird.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5DwOXhO7YM

IGOR STRAVINSKY, “PULCINELLA”
Diaghilev produced Stravinsky’s three breakthrough ballets, “The Firebird,” “Petrouchka,” and “The Rite of Spring,” but this one is the most unremittingly joyous.

RICHARD STRAUSS, “JOSEPHSLEGENDE”
Poor Richard Strauss never got paid for his opulent biblical ballet on account of WWI.

MANUEL DE FALLA, “THE THREE-CORNERED HAT”
Ballet meets flamenco.

PETER ILYCH TCHAIKOVSKY, “AURORA’S WEDDING”
Stokowski conducting, at the age of 95!

LORD BERNERS, “THE TRIUMPH OF NEPTUNE”
Sailor Tom Tug’s adventures in Fairy Land (alas, these excerpts comprise but a third of the ballet).

CONSTANT LAMBERT, “ROMEO AND JULIET”
Not really an adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, but a backstage romantic comedy. Just a clip, with set and costume designs by Max Ernst and Joan Miro.

OTTORINO RESPIGHI, “LA BOUTIQUE FANTASQUE”
“The Fantastic Toybox,” after melodies of Rossini.

SERGEI PROKOFIEV, “THE PRODIGAL SON”
Bad boys get the best music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNC-Bz19Mcs

ERIK SATIE, “PARADE”
Selections, choreography by Massine and designs by Picasso.

FRANCIS POULENC, “LES BICHES”
Before you get any smart ideas, the title means “The Does,” slang for coquettish young women. With Nijinska’s choreography. (BONUSES: Diaghilev’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” and “Scheherazade”).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5_iYhXAFa4

PHOTO: Diaghilev, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Igor Stravinsky