Cocktail Party Fact: The composer, Igor Stravinsky, dedicated the music to Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine. Agon a series of “unwinnable games . . . and ceremonial competitions between them.” There are four sections, each divided into three parts each for twelve dancers. The first section begins with four men, then four women are added, and then the other four women join them. Two women and one man start the second dance. This turns into pas de deux with two men, ending with a male solo. The third section is the reverse of the beginning of section two, with two men and one woman. This is followed by a female solo, then all the men and one woman. The final section consists of four duos, then four trios, and ends as it began with four men.

Vital Statistics: Stravninsky’s score and Balanchine’s choreography merged on December 1, 1957. The twelve dancers were from the New York City Ballet.

Why See It?: The twenty minute production is one of Balanchine’s most organized and concentrated ballets.