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The Polovtsian dances, or Polovetsian dances (Russian: Половецкие пляски, romanized: Polovetskie plyaski from the Russian "Polovtsy" – the name used by the Rus' for the Kipchaks and Cumans) form an exotic scene at the end of act 2 of Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor.

The opera remained unfinished when the composer died in 1887, although he had worked on it for more than a decade. A performing version was prepared by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov in 1890.^[1] Several other versions, or "completions", of the opera have been made. The dances are performed with chorus and last between 11 and 14 minutes. They occur in act 1 or act 2, depending on which version of the opera is being used. Their music is popular and often given in concert as an orchestral showpiece, often with the choral parts omitted. The opera also has a "Polovtsian march" which opens act 3, and an overture at the start. When the dances are given in concert, a suite may be performed: Overture – "Polovtsian dances and march" from Prince Igor.

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Dance No. 8

Performed in 1913 at the Berlin State Opera by the Staatskapelle Berlin

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The first dance, which uses no chorus and is sometimes omitted in concerts, is No. 8, entitled "Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens" ["Пляска половецких девушек"]: presto, 6/8, F major; it is placed directly after the "Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens" which opens the act and is followed by "Konchakovna's Cavatina".

Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.

The dances proper appear at the end of the act as an uninterrupted single number in several contrasting sections, as in the following list. Basic themes are identified by letters in brackets (e.g. [a]) and illustrated in the notation below the list.

No. 17, "Polovtsian Dance with Chorus"

[Половецкая пляска с хором tr. Polovetskaya plyaska s khorom]

[a] Introduction: Andantino, ⁠4/4⁠, A major

[b] Gliding Dance of the Maidens [Пляска девушек плавная]: Andantino, ⁠4/4⁠, F♯ minor

[c + a] Wild Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин дикая]: Allegro vivo, ⁠4/4⁠, F major

[d] General Dance [Общая пляска]: Allegro, ⁠3/4⁠, D major

[e] Dance of the Boys [Пляска мальчиков] and 2nd Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин]: Presto, ⁠6/8⁠, D minor

[b′ + e′] Gliding Dance of the Maidens (reprise, soon combined with the faster dancing of the boys): Moderato alla breve, ⁠2/2⁠, A major

[e″] Dance of the Boys and 2nd Dance of the Men (reprise): Presto, ⁠6/8⁠, D minor

[c′ + a″] General Dance: Allegro con spirito, ⁠4/4⁠, A major

Themes from No. 17

[a] Introduction: Andantino, ⁠4/4⁠, A major:

[b] Gliding Dance of the Maidens [Пляска девушек плавная]: Andantino, ⁠4/4⁠, F♯ minor:

Contains notable instrumental solos for oboe and English horn.

[c] Wild Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин дикая]: Allegro vivo, ⁠4/4⁠, F major:

Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.

[d] General Dance [Общая пляска]: Allegro, ⁠3/4⁠, D major:

[e] Dance of the Boys [Пляска мальчиков] and 2nd Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин]: Presto, ⁠6/8⁠, D minor:

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Translation of the remaining lyrics^[3]

Konchak [the Khan]: Do you see the captives From the distant sea; Do you see my beauties, From beyond the Caspian Sea? Oh, tell me, friend, Tell me just one word: If you want to, I will give you anyone of them.

Polovtsians: Sing songs of praise to the Khan! Sing! Praised be his generosity, praised be his mercy! Praise him! To his enemies the Khan is merciless He, our Khan! Who may equal the Khan in glory, who? In the brilliance of his glory, He is equal to the sun! Our Khan, Khan Konchak, is equal In glory to his forefathers! The terrible Khan Konchak is equal In glory to his forefathers! Glorious is our Khan Konchak! Glory, glory!

All the Slavs: Repeats opening phrase. Fly on the wings of the wind To our native land, dear song of ours, There, where we have sung you at liberty, Where we felt so free in singing you.

Polovtsians: Our Khan, Khan Konchak, is equal In glory to his forefathers! The grim Khan Konchak is equal In glory to his forefathers! Glory, glory to Khan Konchak! Khan Konchak! With your dancing entertain the Khan, Dance to entertain the Khan, slaves! Your Khan! Dance to entertain the Khan, slaves! Your Khan! With your dancing entertain the Khan! Entertain with dancing! Our Khan Konchak!

As part of his first Saison Russe at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Sergei Diaghilev presented Polovtsian Scenes and Dances, consisting of act 2 of Prince Igor, with full orchestra and singers. The premiere took place on 18 May 1909. The choreography was by Michel Fokine and the sets and costumes were designed by Nicholas Roerich. In later seasons, without singers, the work was given as The Polovtsian Dances. For the 1923 season, it was partly re-choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska.^[4]

In 1971, the ballet was presented by choreographer Igor Moiseyev in the USSR Folk Dance Ensemble (Одноактный балет "Половецкие пляски". Балет Игоря Моисеева). It was premiered at the Palais des Sports at the Porte de Versailles in Paris; in Moscow, in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, in Leningrad and other cities of the USSR. The ballet was filmed.^{[citation needed]}

Themes from the Polovtsian Dances have been used widely in popular culture. The 1953 musical Kismet is mostly adapted from Borodin's music, including these dances. The most prominent example is the popular standard "Stranger in Paradise," adapted from the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens".

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polovtsian Dances.

• Free scores of Polovtsian Dances in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Prince Igor: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Polovtsian Dances on YouTube, Dutch National Opera