Les Forains

ballet by Petit

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

Les Forains (The Strolling Players) is a ballet choreographed by Roland Petit in 1945. It is described as a realistic ballet that portrays the lives of impoverished circus performers. Petit was a French dancer and choreographer known for his dramatic ballets that blended fantasy with contemporary realism. He was instrumental in creating Les Ballets des Champs-Élysées, where Les Forains was first performed. Petit's choreography was often angular and acrobatic, incorporating mime, occasional singing, and props.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

6 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Roland Petit
…works included the realistic ballet Les Forains (1945; “The Strolling Players”), a study of indigent circus performers; the imaginative creation La Croqueuse de diamants (1950; “The Diamond Cruncher”), whose heroine eats the gems her associates steal; and L’Oeuf à la coque (1949; “The Soft-Boiled Egg”), in which the leading female…
Read More
…works included the realistic ballet Les Forains (1945; “The Strolling Players”), a study of indigent circus performers; the imaginative creation La Croqueuse de diamants (1950; “The Diamond Cruncher”), whose heroine eats the gems her associates steal; and L’Oeuf à la coque (1949; “The Soft-Boiled Egg”), in which the leading female…
Read More