This is a list of historical figures who have been characters in ballets.
List of historical figures
A Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author Lera Auerbach: The Little Mermaid (as the Poet) Anna Anderson, impostor of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia Ballet to music by Bohuslav Martinů, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Anastasia Andrew II of Hungary, King of Hungary Alexander Glazunov: Raymonda
B Bahram V, King of Persia Gara Garayev: Seven Beauties Giovanni Boldini, Italian genre and portrait painter Lorenzo Ferrero: Franca Florio, regina di Palermo William H. Bonney (Billy the Kid), frontier outlaw in the American Old West Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid Lizzie Borden, American woman who was acquitted for murder Morton Gould: Fall River Legend
C Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo, French/Belgian dancer Ludwig Minkus: Camargo Caravaggio, Italian Baroque painter Ballet to music by Bruno Moretti based on Claudio Monteverdi: Caravaggio Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway, the wife of Christian VII of Denmark Peter Maxwell Davies: Caroline Mathilde Fanny Cerrito, Italian ballet dancer and choreographer Ballet to music by John Field: Pas des Déesses Cleopatra, last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt Anton Arensky et al.: Cleopatra Marcus Licinius Crassus, Roman general and politician Aram Khachaturian: Spartacus Cyrano de Bergerac, French dramatist Marius Constant: Cyrano de Bergerac
D Hugh Despenser the Younger, royal chamberlain and a favourite of Edward II of England John McCabe: Edward II Sergei Diaghilev, Russian art critic, ballet impresario, and founder of the Ballets Russes Ballet to music by Chopin, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakow and Shostakovich: Nijinsky Ballet to a collage of existing music arranged by Bob Zimmerman: Nijinsky – Dancer, Clown, God Charles Didelot, French dancer and choreographer Ballet to music by William Boyce, arranged by Constant Lambert: The Prospect Before Us Isadora Duncan, American dancer Richard Rodney Bennett: Isadora
E Edward II of England, King of England John McCabe: Edward II Edward III of England, King of England John McCabe: Edward II Caroline Alice Elgar, English author Ballet to music by Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations Edward Elgar, English composer Ballet to music by Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Empress consort of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Elizabeth I of England, Queen of England and Ireland Ballet to music by Anton Webern: Episodes
F Franca Florio, Italian noblewoman, socialite and a prominent protagonist of the Belle Époque Lorenzo Ferrero: Franca Florio, regina di Palermo Ignazio Florio Jr., Italian entrepreneur Lorenzo Ferrero: Franca Florio, regina di Palermo Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans Paul Hindemith: Nobilissima Visione Franz Joseph I of Austria, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling
G Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English nobleman John McCabe: Edward II Archduchess Gisela of Austria, second daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Lucile Grahn, Danish ballerina Ballet to music by John Field: Pas des Déesses Alfred Grünfeld, court pianist of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling
H James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, Lord High Admiral of Scotland and 3rd husband of Mary, Queen of Scotland Ballet to music by Anton Webern: Episodes Herodias, a princess of the Herodian Dynasty Paul Hindemith: Hérodiade E. T. A. Hoffmann, German Romantic author Ballet to music by Jacques Offenbach: Tales of Hoffmann
I Isabella of France, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II John McCabe: Edward II Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of Russia Ballet to music by Sergei Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible
J August Jaeger, Anglo-German music publisher Ballet to music by Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations Jiang Qing, Chinese figure, 4th wife of Mao Zedong John Adams: The Chairman Dances (as Chiang Ch'ing)
K Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter Peter Salem: Broken Wings Mathilde Kschessinska, Russian prima ballerina Ballet to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Bohuslav Martinů: Anastasia Andrey Kurbsky, Russian figure, political opponent of Ivan the Terrible Ballet to music by Sergei Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible
L Countess Marie Larisch von Moennich, niece of Empress Elisabeth of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Louis XVI, King of France Boris Asafyev: Flames of Paris Princess Louise of Belgium, wife of Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling
M La Malinche, Aztec mistress of Hernán Cortés Norman Lloyd: La Malinche Mao Zedong, Chinese leader John Adams: The Chairman Dances Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre Boris Asafyev: Flames of Paris Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, third daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen of Scotland Ballet to music by Anton Webern: Episodes Léonide Massine, Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Ballet to music by Chopin, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakow and Shostakovich: Nijinsky George "Bay" Middleton, English horseman Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, English nobleman John McCabe: Edward II
N Vaslav Nijinsky, Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Ballet to music by Pierre Henry and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Nijinsky, clown de Dieu Ballet to music by Johann Sebastian Bach: Vaslav Ballet to music by Chopin, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakow and Shostakovich: Nijinsky Ballet to a collage of existing music arranged by Bob Zimmerman: Nijinsky – Dancer, Clown, God Jean-Georges Noverre, French dancer and ballet master Ballet to music by William Boyce, arranged by Constant Lambert: The Prospect Before Us
O
P Niccolò Paganini, Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer Ballet to music by Sergei Rachmaninoff: Paganini Denis Papin, French physicist, mathematician and inventor Romualdo Marenco: Excelsior Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England as the wife of King Edward III John McCabe: Edward II Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling
Q
R Jacques Renaudin (Valentin le désossé), French can-can dancer Ballet to music by Emmanuel Chabrier: Bar aux Folies-Bergère Arthur Rimbaud, French poet Ballet to music by Benjamin Britten: Illuminations Diego Rivera, Mexican painter Peter Salem: Broken Wings Anastasia Romanovna, Tsaritsa consort, first wife of Ivan the Terrible Ballet to music by Sergei Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible Salvator Rosa, Italian Baroque painter, poet, and printmaker Cesare Pugni: Catarina or La Fille du Bandit Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, Crown Prince of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling
S Arthur Saint-Léon, French dancer and choreographer Ballet to music by John Field: Pas des Déesses Katharina Schratt, Austrian actress Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Clara Schumann, German musician Ballet to music by Robert Schumann: Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze Robert Schumann, German composer Ballet to music by Robert Schumann: Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze George Robertson Sinclair, English cathedral organist Ballet to music by Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Spartacus, Thracian gladiator Aram Khachaturian: Spartacus Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Crown Princess of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, King consort of Scotland Ballet to music by Anton Webern: Episodes
T Eduard Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe, Austrian statesman Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling Marie Taglioni, Italian/Swedish ballet dancer Ballet to music by John Field: Pas des Déesses Tancred, Prince of Galilee, Norman Crusade leader Ballet to music by Raffaello de Banfield: Le combat
U
V Baroness Mary Vetsera, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria's mistress Ballet to music by Franz Liszt: Mayerling François Villon, French poet Robert Starer: Villon Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist Romualdo Marenco: Excelsior
W Louise Weber (La Goulue), French can-can dancer Ballet to music by Emmanuel Chabrier: Bar aux Folies-Bergère
X
Y
Z
George Zorbas, Greek miner Ballet to music by Mikis Theodorakis: Zorba the Greek (ballet)
See also List of ballets by title