Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)
Circus Polka

In 1942 the choreographer George Balanchine had a commission (from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus) for a ballet. Balanchine quickly contacted his friend and fellow Russian expatriate, Igor Stravinsky, and told him he needed a polka. "For whom?" Stravinsky asked. "Elephants," came the answer. "How old?" "Young." "If they are very young, I will do it" Stravinsky declared.

This “Polka for Elephants” was first played at Madison Square Gardens in the spring of 1942 by the Ringling Circus Band and starring, according to the programme, "Fifty Elephants and Fifty Beautiful Girls in an Original Choreographic Tour de Force, Featuring Modoc, premiere ballerina." The New York Times reported that "Modoc the Elephant danced with amazing grace, and in time to the tune, closing in perfect cadence with the crashing finale." Although contemporary accounts claim the other elephants were not quite as adept at following Stravinsky’s rhythmic quirks, the act was a great success and ran for hundreds of performances.