This work was composed in five sections: “Prelude,” “Aria,” “Scherzo,” “Lullaby,” and a “Finale.” The ballet is choreographed for a leading couple and four supporting couples dressed in simple costumes. Haieff Divertimento features a blues pas de deux and combines popular American dance idioms and modern concert dance with classic ballet.

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Alexei Haieff was born inSiberia in 1914. A pianist and composer, he studied with Constantine Shredov and Nadia Boulanger. He attended The Juilliard School and was honored with theAmericanAcademy in Rome Medal (1942), the Lili Boulanger Memorial Award (1942), and two John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships (1946 and 1949).