The Polovtsian Dances, or Polovetsian Dances (), form an exotic scene at the end of act 2 of Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor.
The opera remained unfinished when the composer died in 1887, although he had worked on it for more than a decade. A performing version was prepared by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov in 1890. Several other versions, or "completions", of the opera have been made. The dances are performed with chorus and last between 11 and 14 minutes. They occur in act 1 or act 2, depending on which version of the opera is being used. Their music is popular and often given in concert as an orchestral showpiece, often with the choral parts omitted. The opera also has a "Polovtsian march" which opens act 3, and an overture at the start. When the dances are given in concert, a suite may be performed: Overture â "Polovtsian dances and march" from Prince Igor.
The name Polovtsian Dances refers to the Cumans (Polovtsy), who were nomadic invaders of Russia; the Cumans capture Igor in the opera and then entertain him with dances.
The first dance, which uses no chorus and is sometimes omitted in concerts, is No. 8, entitled "Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens" ["ÃÂûÃÂÃÂúð ÿþûþòõÃÂúøàôõòÃÂÃÂõú"]: , 6/8, F major; it is placed directly after the "Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens" which opens the act and is followed by "Konchakovna's Cavatina".
Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.
The dances proper appear at the end of the act as an uninterrupted single number in several contrasting sections, as in the following list. Basic themes are identified by letters in brackets (e.g. [a]) and illustrated in the notation below the list.
[a] Introduction: Andantino, , A major:
[b] Gliding Dance of the Maidens [ÃÂûÃÂÃÂúð ôõòÃÂÃÂõú ÿûðòýðÃÂ]: Andantino, , F minor:
Contains notable instrumental solos for oboe and English horn.
[c] Wild Dance of the Men [ÃÂûÃÂÃÂúð üÃÂöÃÂøý ôøúðÃÂ]: Allegro vivo, , F major:
Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.
[d] General Dance [ÃÂñÃÂðàÿûÃÂÃÂúð]: Allegro, , D major:
[e] Dance of the Boys [ÃÂûÃÂÃÂúð üðûÃÂÃÂøúþò] and 2nd Dance of the Men [ÃÂûÃÂÃÂúð üÃÂöÃÂøý]: Presto, , D minor:
As part of his first at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Sergei Diaghilev presented Polovtsian Scenes and Dances, consisting of act 2 of Prince Igor, with full orchestra and singers. The premiere took place on 18 May 1909. The choreography was by Michel Fokine and the sets and costumes were designed by Nicholas Roerich. In later seasons, without singers, the work was given as The Polovtsian Dances. For the 1923 season, it was partly re-choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska.
In 1971, the ballet was presented by choreographer Igor Moiseyev in the USSR Folk Dance Ensemble (ÃÂôýþðúÃÂýÃÂù ñðûõà"ÃÂþûþòõÃÂúøõ ÿûÃÂÃÂúø". ÃÂðûõàÃÂóþÃÂàÃÂþøÃÂõõòð). It was premiered at the Palais des Sports at the Porte de Versailles in Paris; in Moscow, in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, in Leningrad and other cities of the USSR. The ballet was filmed.
Themes from the Polovtsian Dances have been used widely in popular culture. The 1953 musical Kismet is mostly adapted from Borodin's music, including these dances. The most prominent example is the popular standard "Stranger in Paradise," adapted from the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens".