Starstruck
2021
Gene Kelly’s pioneering choreography and much-loved style influenced a generation of dance-makers, and we honour his creative legacy with this playful new production. Set to Gershwin’s effortlessly cool Concerto in F, with extracts from Chopin and Ravel.
One of the first choreographers to bring the ‘American style’ to Europe, the legendary Gene Kelly was invited to create an original work for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1960. Dancing the lead role of Aphrodite was the ‘Étoile’ of Paris, Claude Bessy, who had worked with Kelly in Hollywood and encouraged him across the Atlantic. His jazzy, joyful Pas de Dieux was highly acclaimed at the time as ‘a breath of fresh air’ and has now been given a new set of wings for its UK premiere.
In collaboration with Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, Scottish Ballet’s CEO/Artistic Director Christopher Hampson and designer Lez Brotherston (The Snow Queen, The Secret Theatre) have lovingly revived the original ballet and added a delightful new twist. You’ll be transported into the world where jazz meets ballet, and the stars align.
Last performed: Starstruck was last performed in spring 2026. For current productions, visit our What’s On page.
Scottish Ballet premiere: September 2021 (World Premiere), Extended full-length production April 2026.
Original Choreography & Direction for Pas de Dieux: Gene Kelly
Additional Choreography & Scenario: Christopher Hampson
Design & Additional Scenario: Lez Brotherston OBE
Artistic Collaborator: Patricia Ward Kelly
Lighting Designer: Lawrie McLennan
Music: George Gershwin, Frédéric Chopin & Maurice Ravel
With grateful thanks to the André François Estate, for their kind permission to reference the original Pas de Dieux set and costume designs in this new production. © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2021
‘Heavenly… joyful… gloriously graceful’
The Telegraph
‘The dancers, take all the movement shifts in their stride – balletically poised one moment, razzy-jazzy the next, with delicious nods to the screen musicals that Kelly starred in.’
The Herald
‘Exuberant escapism’
The Scotsman
‘Leggy, sexy and modern’
The Stage
Synopsis
Act 1
The Audition
In a rehearsal studio an audition is taking place. The Choreographer searches for a ballerina to star in his new ballet about the tempestuous relationship between Zeus and Aphrodite. Three ballerinas, each more ambitious than the other, compete to be the leading lady. In the corner a frazzled rehearsal pianist tries to keep the tempo from spinning into total chaos.
Just as the Choreographer is ready to call it a day, a true Star Ballerina arrives and captures his heart. He has found his Aphrodite.
The Lovers
The Choreographer and Star Ballerina have found themselves caught up in their own real-life love duet. Their romance develops over the next few days and weeks. However, as his new ballet’s World Premiere approaches, the Choreographer becomes more obsessed with his masterpiece.
The Star Ballerina senses the drift between them and quietly packs and leaves to find her own bright future elsewhere.
The Dream
Left with a half-finished ballet and a heavy heart, the Choreographer falls into a restless sleep. He finds himself in a Dream Ballet — a surreal, shimmering Hollywood party where every guest is the epitome of elegance and style. There, he watches a dashing Film Star charm his Star Ballerina into a world of glitz, a world where there is no room for him. No matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot win her back from the silver screen fantasy.
Act 2
The Warm-Up
The Choreographer arrives early to the studio to prepare for the long day ahead. His ballet remains unfinished, and his Star Ballerina is yet to return.
The dancers arrive and he leads them in a warm-up with the Pianist trying hard to keep the mood bright. However, the hard work is interrupted; the Star Ballerina returns. Overjoyed at being reunited, the Choreographer begins to complete his ballet.
The Dress Rehearsal
Scene 1. The Clouds of Mount OlympusThe rehearsal begins. The Star Ballerina, now playing the role of Aphrodite, who, having grown tired of her life in the clouds of Mount Olympus and her marriage to Zeus (played by the Choreographer), spends her days longing for freedom, spying on the mortals below and imagining what fun they must be having. Unable to resist temptation, she and her trusty friend Eros fly to sunny France together to wreak a little havoc.
Scene 2. A BeachDown on earth, a handsome Lifeguard lives blissfully by the sea with his Fiancée until Eros shoots his celestial arrow at the pair and whisks her away, leaving the Lifeguard under Aphrodite’s spell. Zeus discovers that Aphrodite is missing and sends down a thunderous warning, which she ignores.
Scene 3. The InterruptionAs the couples lay resting, Zeus awakens the Lifeguard and his Fiancée and reunites them. Aphrodite wakes to find herself alone. She suspects Zeus has had a hand in the Lifeguard’s disappearance and begins to plan her playful revenge.
The story, however, stalls as the rehearsal is interrupted by the Choreographer giving his notes to the dancers playing the young lovers. The Star Ballerina finds herself being ignored, not unlike Aphrodite in the ballet they are rehearsing. She strikes up a flirtation with a stagehand, sure to get back the attention of the Choreographer — and it works, in fact it works so well that a fight ensues, and the Choreographer wins back the affections of the Star Ballerina. They dance a duet which in turn becomes the reconciliation of their on-stage characters, Zeus and Aphrodite.
The Premiere
Reunited, both on and off the stage, the Star Ballerina and the Choreographer transport us to the premiere of the new ballet at the Paris Opéra where the whole company join in a dazzling finale ending with rapturous curtain calls for all.
Epilogue
As the dancers disperse, the Star Ballerina and the Choreographer walk away hand in hand, glancing back to an empty stage where all the magic has happened and where one day it will return.
Gallery
