A Rose for Miss Emily

Date of Premiere: October 22, 1970, North Carolina School of the Arts. July 8, 1976, American Ballet Theatre

Original Cast: Gemze de Lappe (Miss Emily), David Evans (Her Lover), and students of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Music: Alan Hovhaness

Running Time: 30 minutes

Cast: 1 female lead, 1 male lead, 6 female corps, 6 male corps. Miss Emily, Her Lover, Children of Her Youth, Children of Her Old Age, Mirror Images

Based on the short story by William Faulkner, this shocking melodrama is the tale of a southern woman entombed in the past. De Mille's ballet focuses on Miss Emily's illusory resurrection of her ill-fated love affair. The ballet unifies the past and present while depicting the inner psyche of a tragic southern belle whose isolation from her present society eventually leads to madness. The passionate and poignant solos and pas de deux provide a psychological portrait of how memory and isolation take a tragic turn.

A Rose for Miss Emily. Richmond Ballet. Photo Credit: Aaron Sutten/Courtesy of Richmond Ballet. Cover photo: A Rose for Miss Emily. Danaё Carter (Miss Emily) and Igor Antonov (Her Lover). Richmond Ballet. Photo Credit: Aaron Sutten/Courtesy of Richmond Ballet.