Peter and The Wolf-Classic Fairy Tales
Introducing Students K, 1, 2 Grades to Ballet & Inspire to Read!
Peter and The Wolf was written in 1936-a “symphonic fairy tale” by the composer Sergei Prokofiev.
Classic Fairy Tales in a form of ballet.
Performed with a narrator, the musical work serves as an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra as well as the basis of a delightful ballet. Each character in the story is personified by its own instruments and melody.
The story is set in the European countryside in the 1900’s. The main character is a young boy called Peter who lives with his Grandfather in a small country house surrounded by meadows, a pond and a woods. Peter’s three best friends are a little Bird who has a nest near Peter’s home, a Duck who likes to splash in the nearby pond at the edge of the woods, and a playful Cat who is forever chasing his own tail!
The story unfolds as Peter, the Cat and the little Bird and Duck are playing in the meadow and its pond on the edge of the woods.
Enjoying the lovely day in the sun, the Cat eyes the little Bird. The Bird quickly flutters to the nearby tree and stays there safely as the Cat struts and circles below.
Grandfather warns Peter that wolves live in the woods and are dangerous, and may eat Peter and his friends. Peter is told to go back home where he will be safe. As he is walking back to his home, a lone Wolf runs from the woods and chases the Cat, the Bird and the Duck. The Cat escapes up the tree but the Wolf swallows the Duck. The Wolf circles the tree eager to make the Bird and the Cat his next meal. Peter views this from a distance, fetches a rope from his country home and scrambles up the tree; he has a plan to catch the Wolf!
Encouraging the little bird to fly and distract the Wolf, he knots the rope into a lasso and the little Bird lures the Wolf to the tree where Peter has climbed. Using all of his strength, he hoiststhe Wolf up into the tree. Hunters arrive just as Peter has caught the Wolf.Peter proudly tells them that he has the Wolf and is taking him to the zoo. A triumphant procession begins with Peter, the Bird, the Cat and the hunters as they make their way to the zoo.
They are all happy because the Wolf has been caught, and they are safe. At the end of the ballet, the Duck comes back and waves to the audience.
Curriculum-Connections: Dance, Ballet, Music, Theater, Art, Classic Literature, ELA