The Little Mermaid at the San Francisco Ballet

In 2011, PBS's Great Performances featured the San Francisco Ballet's production of The Little Mermaid.

The ballet was choreographed by John Neumeier and the music composed by Lera Auerbach. (A complete cast list and production credits can be found on Odette's Ordeal.)

The little mermaid swims while being suspended in air by the strong arms of fellow dancers, and by flipping her silky blue fins behind her. Hans Christian Andersen also plays a role in this telling. He dances the little mermaid to life with his words and movement.

Here are a few images from the ballet:

The Little Mermaid, San Francisco Ballet

The Little Mermaid, San Francisco Ballet

The Little Mermaid, San Francisco Ballet

The Little Mermaid, San Francisco Ballet

The Little Mermaid, San Francisco Ballet

The Little Mermaid by the San Francisco Ballet is a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Andersen's fairy tale. It was commissioned for the 200th anniversary of the famous storyteller's birth and had its world premiere on April 15, 2005 at the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

If you have the time, be sure to watch some or all of this mesmerizing production, available for streaming on PBS. org.