| The Ballet of the Nuns | |
|---|---|
 Marie Taglioni, 1839 | |
| Choreographed by | Filippo Taglioni |
| Composed by | Giacomo Meyerbeer |
| Libretto by | Eugene Scribe |
| Based on | Quarante Miracles dits de Notre-Dame |
| Date of premiere | 22 November 1831 |
| Place of premiere | Paris Opéra |
| Original ballet company | Paris Opéra Ballet |
| Characters | Bertram Robert le Diable Helena, an Abbess Ghosts of Nuns |
| Designs by | Henri Duponchel Pierre Ciceri |
| Setting | Sainte-Rosalie Cloister in ruins |
| Created for | Marie Taglioni |
| Genre | Gothic Romanticism |
| Type | Romantic ballet |
The Ballet of the Nuns is the first ballet blanc and the first romantic ballet.[1] It is an episode in Act III of Giacomo Meyerbeer's grand opera, Robert le Diable. It premiered in November 1831 at the Paris Opéra. The choreography (now lost) was created by either Filippo Taglioni or Jean Coralli.[2]
The short ballet tells of deceased nuns rising from their tombs in a ruined cloister to seduce the knight, Robert le Diable. At the end of the ballet, the white-clad nuns return to their tombs. The ballet was created because officials at the Paris Opéra wanted to demonstrate the building's newly installed gas lighting. The lighting was capable of creating ghastly effects.[3]
The Ballet of the Nuns starred Marie Taglioni as the Abbess Helena. Although opening night was marred with a few mishaps, Taglioni made her indelible mark on the ballet world in the role. She became known for her ethereal qualities and her moral purity, and is one of the most celebrated ballerinas in history.[3]