Trepak (The Nutcracker)

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This article is about the character dance. For the folk dance, see Tropak. For the basketball player, see Zoltán Trepák.

Trepak (Russian: Трепак; Ukrainian: Трoпак, Трiпак) is one of the character dances from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker. It is based on the traditional Russian[1] and Ukrainian folk dance trepak. In the Ukrainian language the trepak is known as tropak (or tripak).[2]

The piece is also referred to as the Russian dance and is part of the Divertissement in Act II, Tableau III. The dance makes much use of Ukrainian folk melodies.[citation needed] The other character dances in this divertissement are: Chocolate (Spanish dance), Coffee (Arabian dance) and Tea (Chinese dance).

Tchaikovsky's Trepak is written in AABA form. Its tempo is molto vivace – prestissimo, the time signature is 2
4, and the key is G major.

In popular culture[]

  • The Trepak is used in the Disney film Fantasia. In the sequence, flowers take the place of the Cossack dancers, with thistles resembling men in fur hats and orchids as women with bonnets.
  • Different short arrangements of the first notes are used as the victory fanfare for the Game Boy version of the Tetris video game.
  • The Trepak is used in The Comeback as Valerie Cherish's ringtone.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Фраёнова Е. М. Трепак // Музыкальная энциклопедия / под ред. Ю. В. Келдыша. — М.: Советская энциклопедия, Советский композитор, 1981. — Т. 5.
  2. ^ Humeniuk, Andriy (1962): Ukrainian Folk Dances (Українські Hароднi Танцi). Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.
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