Dream ballet

A dream ballet is a moment in a musical, where the dialogue stops and the plot may (though does not always) continue through movement. In Oklahoma!, the first time we see Laurey and Curly have a romantic moment is in the dream ballet. Likewise, what happens in the dream ballet, affects Laurey after she reawakens. This plot device makes the dream ballet unique in the world of musical theater.[2] Dream ballets are not to be confused with dance breaks, though they share some properties. A dream ballet is a dedicated instrumental dance number, whereas dance breaks usually occur in the middle of songs. For example, the dance break in the middle of "Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me, Kate! would not be considered a dream ballet because it is in the middle of a song with words. Also, it is there with the express purpose of dancing, not to move the plot forward (though some do). Dream ballets, do however, provide opportunities for choreographers to write flashy and extravagant dance numbers that would otherwise be difficult because of how hard it is for actors to sing and dance simultaneously.[1]

It is difficult to say how or why dream ballets, as agents of plot development or as devices of theatrical artifice, became so wide-spread in the twentieth century, but its appeal had a lot to do with opportunities it provided writers to forgo the laws of reality and creative imaginative and dream-like plot arcs that would otherwise be unrealistic or impossible. They sometimes create a time warp, where large periods of time are expressed or summarized in a montage-like sequence (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel is one such example.). They also provide insight into a character's emotional or psychological state (like "Laurie's Dream" in Oklahoma!).[1]

"The Glass Slipper" Starring Leslie Caron in 1944.

A moment from An American in Paris' dream ballet.

After Oklahoma! debuted onstage, some movie musicals began to incorporate dream ballets into their creations. One notable example is An American in Paris (1951). Directed by Vincente Minnelli and choreographed by both Minnelli and Gene Kelly, the last twenty minutes of the movie is a dream ballet where Kelly's character Jerry Mulligan examines his relationship with Lise Bouvier, played by Leslie Caron. The dream ballet is supposed to stylistically move from painter to painter as Jerry thinks about his relationship in terms of different painters from Paris.[3]

Another Vincente Minnelli film to feature a dream ballet is The Band Wagon (1953) starring classic film dancers Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Based on the musical of the same name, the dream ballet number "Dancing in the Dark" featured choreography by Michael Kidd. In 1954, Stanley Donen directed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which featured a "Barn Dance" where the seven sisters are fought over by the seven brothers and their rivals. As he was popular at this time, the choreography was by Michael Kidd.

Oklahoma! debuted as a film in 1955, keeping Agnes DeMille's choreography for the dream ballet intact. Many additional musicals made the transformation from stage to the big screen including Brigadoon (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), Carousel (1956), West Side Story (1961), and The Wiz (1978). These film versions tended to have big names as stars such as Gene Kelly, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Rita Moreno, and Diana Ross.

Since then other films have used the conceit of a dream ballet including the Coen Brothers' The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) which has an unexpected dream ballet number choreographed by Wesley Fata and performed by Tim Robbins and Pamela Everett,[4] The Big Lebowski (1998) featuring Jeff Bridges, and I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020). An episode of television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015) also features a dream ballet entitled "Triceratops Ballet."

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