#TBT: Ballet on Sesame Street—Suzanne Farrell, Angel Corella, Misty Copeland and More!

September 6, 2017

You probably remember watching “Sesame Street” in your pre-ballet days, but did you know that some of your favorite ballet dancers and companies have appeared alongside your favorite PBS characters?

We’ve rounded up some our most beloved ballet scenes from the classic children’s program below.

Count Suzanne Farrell’s turns

Remember the days when you counted “1, 2, 3, 4” instead “and, 5, 6, 7, 8”? Relive that time as you—and the Count—add up the legendary Balanchine muse’s turns in this 1985 episode.

Learn the alphabet with Angel Corella

Why didn’t they teach the alphabet like this in school? Corella leaps and soars among a corps of animated ABCs in this 1998 clip— and he totally upstages the letters.

Dancing with the stars—and sun, moon, earth and water: Dance Theatre of Harlem

Did you know that Dance Theatre of Harlem created a ballet for Sesame Street? In this 1995 episode, the company—plus three adorable students—perform the story ballet A Home in the Sky, narrated by Zoe and Elmo.

Cooperate with New York City Ballet’s Lourdes Lopez and Jock Soto

Who did you dream of dancing with when you were younger? If New York City Ballet comes to mind, you might be a bit envious of Zoe and Elmo! In this 1998 episode, they get to chance to try partnering with principals Lourdes Lopez and Jock Soto in a scene about the importance of cooperation.

Lambarena
with Lorena and Lorna Feijóo

What are your earliest memories of choreography? Did you have specific ideas about how pieces should be danced? In this 2008 episode, the Feijoo sisters sparkle in an irresistible slice of Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena adapted for the Sesame Street stage. Then they join in Zoe’s unique version of the piece…

“Sesame Street” meets Swan Lake

Raise your hands—er, wings—if you’ve been practicing swan arms since the age you were watching Sesame Street. In this 2013 episode, NYCB’s Kristen Segin, Alina Dronova, Callie Bachman and Sara Adams demonstrate those oh-so-famous swan arms, explain ballet basics and perform the Dance of the Little Swans.

Misty Copeland and Cookie Monster choreograph a cookie ballet

Though technically a 2015 PBS promotional video instead of a Sesame Street episode, we wouldn’t dream of leaving out this delicious dance-making collaboration between Misty Copeland and Cookie Monster. Can we just say that cookie ballets are the dance genre we didn’t know we needed? (Anyone want to hold a festival in the future?)