DESCRIPTION:
Garden Of Eden (Third Movement - Part 3) Satanic Dance of the Tree of Knowledge
From Cycle of the Earth
A Ballet for Symphony Orchestra by Steven Lebetkin

Cycle of the Earth is a ballet for symphony orchestra. It is a musical and dance work reflective of the earth's life cycle. The ballet traces the earth's environmental experience from its origins through the Ice Ages (where the music of the ballet begins). Mankind defiles the earth, which results in the premature destruction of life on earth. The earth devours its visitors (mankind) and returns triumphantly to the next Ice Age.

Garden Of Eden - Program Description

Scene 1 Adam’s Dance (nude), Serpent Dance, Serpent Plucks the Applefrom the Tree of Knowledge, Serpent Dances in Celebration.
Scene 2 Eve’s Ballerina Solo (nude)
Scene 3 The Serpent reappears and seduces Eve, then Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve are nude. They each eat the fruit, and then dance wildly in the nude with the Serpent. An angry God banishes them all from the Garden of Eden. They realize they are nude and frantically cover themselves with fig leaves. The three dance together even more wildly and God chases them out with final declaration of banishment and the three exit.

The movements of the ballet are:

I. Ice Age Dance
II. The Sea
III. Garden of Eden (in three scenes)
IV. The Epitaph of Seikilos
V. The Earth Devours Mankind
VI. Ice Age Hymn