Three Sailors, Three Personalities: Choreomusical Analysis of the Solo Variations in Fancy Free

A thorough understanding of how music and movement synthesize is vital for deeper exploration of multimedia artworks. In this article, I demonstrate a choreomusical analytic technique that links detailed analyses of both music and choreography from the ballet Fancy Free , a work that was the product of a close collaboration between Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins. Specifically, I explore the three sailors’ solo variations, noting placement and repetition of rhythmic and choreographic phrases, elisions and metric changes, and reinterpretation of rhythmic patterns. I observe differences in grouping and accents to reveal how the changing relationships between dance and music create unique characterizations for each of the sailors. My integrated reading of music and original choreography explores the relationship between music and movement, offering a way to understand how they intertwine.