The Creative Process: From Inspiration to the Stage
- Roman Mykyta
- Sep 14, 2025
- 17 min read
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton — the first U.S.-born person to be elevated to sainthood in the Catholic Church. To honor this historic milestone, I created a dramatic one-act ballet, Elizabeth, set to the music of Ottorino Respighi, which premiered with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland on February 21, 2025, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, MD.
So many of you have asked about my creative process — how a work grows from idea to stage. For this special occasion, I thought I'd share the full journey with you: the complete libretto, choreographer’s notes and reflections, and a video sample from the performance by the Ballet Theatre of Maryland on February 22, 2025 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
I invite you to step inside the process and experience the work in its entirety.
Please enjoy!
LIBRETTO
CHOREOGRAPHERS NOTE: Concerning my choreographic vision and process, I believe and follow the five principles outlined by Michel Fokine, the first choreographer of the Ballet Russes, who profoundly influenced 20th century ballet choreography. Of particular note is Fokine’s 5th principle, the alliance of dancing with the other arts. Stylistically, this choreography was influenced by the artistic legacy of the Rossetti family, especially painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. His work, ‘Found’, inspired the framing of this Libretto. While there were women who encountered Mother Seton, as depicted in this ballet, the real Fanny Cornforth was an art model who did not meet her; nonetheless, in paying homage to both the historical and artistic legacies, I preserved the name of the model while depicting the shared experiences of other women.
I will annotate the libretto with images of ‘Found’ and other works that inspired moments in the piece.
Finally, I use a minimalist set design when creating narrative ballets, emphasizing scene changes and narrative progression mainly through staging the corps de ballet and using only a few props.
BALTIMORE, 1811: In late August, Fanny Cornforth, a country lass from Winchester (the former name of Westminster) goes to Baltimore with two friends to work in the mills. Fanny is a free spirit who wants to embrace the richness of life and is excited by everything a big city has to offer. While enjoying a night on the town, the three girls are courted by three suitors who take them out dancing. One fateful night in September, while accepting the entreaties of the suitors, Fanny decides not to return to the mill with her friends, breaking curfew and effectively quitting her job. Through the beginning of autumn she is privately entertained by the suitors. Propelled by the excitement of new passions, she gives herself fully to her Seducer, but by the end of November the suitors depart for their family estates, playing a cruel trick on Fanny with no promise to return. Fanny, now left destitute, must rely on any passing charity. A country drover from Hampstead, who apparently recognizes Fanny from childhood, saves the girl, promising to escort her to the Sisters of Charity led by Mother Seton.
EMMITSBURG, 1811: In early December, the Sisters of Charity and their ward of school girls are led by Mother Seton through the evening activities and prayers during Advent. Fanny Cornforth appears as a novice. When the Sisters and school girls are dismissed to retire for bed, Fanny Cornforth remains to receive counseling from Mother Seton; two other sisters sit in the corner, beginning a prayerful meditation. Fanny Cornforth remains inconsolable; her heart feels more wounded than ever before and she rejects the invitation to join St. Joseph’s House. She finds herself there wounded and punished and she scoffs at the Sisters, insisting that they wouldn’t understand heartbreak. She collapses into tears and Mother Seton, along with her daughters, Anna Maria, Catherine and Rebecca Rebecca, rush to comfort her. Mother Seton reassures the young girl that she deeply understands and yet Divine Love heals all; she begins her story.
CHOREOGRAPHERS NOTE: The Advent activities of Sisters of Charity and their ward of school girls include a play on The Annunciation and Caroling. Further employing Fokine’s 5th principal, the alliance of dancing with other arts, this scene was inspired by two other Rossetti paintings: ‘The Girlhood of Mary Virgin’ and ‘The Annunciation’. Additionally, Rossetti’s sister, Christina Georgina Rossetti, was a writer, who penned the Cristmas Carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter”. The schoolgirls are miming the lyrics from the last verse, referring to the infant Christ, “What can I give Him, Poor as I am? ….. Yet what I can I give Him, —Give my heart.”
Drawing upon my own tradition, I have inserted other moments within the choreography that are allusions to the Sacred Iconography of the Eastern Orthodox Church that underscore the message of Love. In this scene, Mother Seton’s cheek to cheek embrace of the distraught Fanny, offering comfort and compassion, evokes the captivating image of the Theotokos Eleousa, or Virgin of Tenderness (or Showing Mercy) Icon that symbolizes the intimate connection between God and humanity.
NEW YORK CITY, 1781: At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the United States
promises to be a new country with endless possibilities.
NEW YORK CITY, 1793: A young, thoughtful and free spirited Elizabeth Bayley loses herself in a book. An Elegant Lady from New York Society and a member of the Seton clan, encourages Elizabeth to join the young people’s social gatherings. Elizabeth delights in the dancing; her and her partner William Seton are drawn to each other in every sense.
NEW YORK CITY, 1794: William and Elizabeth Ann Seton are married, enjoying the company of their relatives. When they are alone, their love initially finds expression as William takes up his Stradivarius and serenades Elizabeth, as she freely and elegantly dances. They begin their family, and have five children: Anna Maria, William, Richard, Catherine and Rebecca.
CHOREOGRAPHER’S NOTE: In addition to all of her other achievements, Elizabeth loved to dance and her dancing slippers are kept for posterity at her National Shrine in Emmitsburg, which adds significance to creating a ballet based on her life.
NEW YORK CITY, 1803: William Seton feels invigorated to undertake a business trip to meet his business partner in Italy. Elizabeth joins him with Anna Maria.
LIVORNO, 1803: The citizens of Livorno are celebrating the Feast of St. Andrew, led by Antonio and Amabilia Filicchi. Both Filippo Filicchi and his wife are expecting to welcome the Setons from their journey. However when the Setons arrive, they are sequestered in quarantine. William Seton is succumbing to tuberculosis, while Elizabeth tries to make sense of the circumstances. William dies in December as his two companion angels release him from the sickness and take him to his next destination, but he is grieved to leave Elizabeth. When William passes, Elizabeth feels like she has lost half of herself. When both she and Anna Maria are released from quarantine, they are hosted by the Filicchis. Elizabeth is uplifted by their kindness, but in her numb and vulnerable state, the emotional connection with Antonio becomes momentarily confused before she puts it in its proper place. Elizabeth releases her burden by turning to faith, experiencing spiritual renewal by encountering the Catholic Church.
NEW YORK CITY, 1805: Upon returning to the United States, Elizabeth converts to Catholicism but her relatives and former associates do not approve and withdraw from her.
EMMITSBURG, 1810: Elizabeth accepts the invitation to go to Emmitsburg, where she establishes Saint Joseph’s Academy and Free School. Elizabeth devotes herself to this project, becoming a haven for vulnerable girls, including Fanny Cornforth to be sheltered from the world’s cruelties.
CHOREOGRAPHER'S NOTE: Another allusion to Eastern Orthodox Iconography comes during a dynamic scene as the school for girls takes shape around Mother Seton. Mother Seton, at center stage executes an arabesque balanced in two sides by Sisters of Charity demonstrating her leadership of the effort. In executing this move, Mother Seton briefly passes through the posture of Christ on the Cross, depicted in the Icon of the Crucifixion, demonstrating her self sacrificing love and devotion to this effort.
EMMITSBURG, 1812: Coming into the present time, Mother Seton manages devoting herself to the school while continuing to be a mother for her five children. William, Jr. receives his mother’s blessing to embark on his naval career while she must admonish Richard for his prodigal living. Catherine remains quiet and reflective, but Rebecca has fallen on the ice, suffering a serious injury. However all of them turn their attention to Anna Maria who is succumbing to tuberculosis. After a painful battle, Anna Maria finds peace as she passes, escorted by her companion angels and reunited with her father.
Elizabeth sees a mystic vision of her husband, daughter and the angels; after years of heart-breaking experiences counterbalanced by her spiritual meditations, she suffers no anxiety about death but trusts that her loved ones have come closer to Divine Love as she herself longs to be. She is illuminated by a joyful peace motivated by perfected love. She feels supported on all sides by Faith, Hope, Experience and Love.
Meanwhile, Fanny Cornforth, moved by Mother Seton’s story expresses her gratitude for her counseling while basking in her own spiritual renewal. She is set free from her wounded heart, which now overflows with joy. The two of them are joined by Catherine and Rebecca as they frolic through the forest; it is unclear what Fanny Cornforth’s future will hold, but with this root of faith, anything is possible.
CHOREOGRAPHER NOTES
INSPIRATION:
I was introduced, through conversation with my father, to Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821). Through a little research I came to learn that she is a prominent figure in both Maryland history and Women’s history, and an inspirational exemplar of perseverance, faithfulness, strength in the face of hardship and true servant leadership. She was the first person, man or woman, born in the United States, to be canonized as a Saint in the Catholic Church.
Her life was marked with loss and hardships, yet she rose above them to heal others. Born in New York in 1774, she lost her mother and a sibling when she was only three years old. She married at 19 and had five children before losing her husband to tuberculosis, becoming a widow at 28. Born to Episcopal parents, she converted to Catholicism after her husband’s death, was disinherited and subjected to anti-Catholic prejudice in New York, making it difficult to provide for her children. She left New York for Maryland where she took her vows and founded the Sisters of Charity, the first Catholic Sisterhood in the United States. Her Sisters of Charity were dedicated to the care of children of the poor and she established the first free school for girls in the United States . She went on to found the first parochial school in the United States in Emmitsburg, MD. She is recognized as the founder of the parochial school system in the United States and is an inductee into both the Maryland and the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Upon researching the amazing story and work of St Elizabeth Ann Seton, I was inspired to create a short ballet in honor of her life, as 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of her canonization. I have coordinated with Nicole Kelsch, the Artistic Director of the Annapolis based Ballet Theatre of Maryland, (Maryland’s Premier Professional Ballet Company), to include the piece as part of their mixed repertoire showcase, Momentum, on Friday, February 21, 2025 and Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, MD.
CHOREOGRAPHIC APPROACH:
My research for this effort drew from sources available through the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton website on her life and works, and reading the very well sourced book by author Catherine O’Donnell, Elizabeth Seton: American Saint.
Because this piece will be one of a few pieces featured in the mixed repertoire program, I am limited to approximately 30 minutes. WIth this time limitation, the work of shaping my libretto required thoughtful consideration on which parts of her story to highlight to deliver both the historical summary of her life, but more importantly, the transformative elements, in a compelling and entertaining way.
I have researched and selected music by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi because of particular elements in the music that reflect chapters in the life of St Elizabeth Ann Seton. The piece will be 32 minutes, and will be entitled, Elizabeth.
CREATIVE PROCESS: TONE AND STYLE
My full creative process for developing choreography takes several steps and it is worth noting that these steps do not occur linearly, nor can they be succinctly described with words. Choreography for me is like a puzzle; sometimes a few unrelated sections initially come forward into focus and by developing each of them individually the necessary elements to connect them harmoniously come into view.
Before considering the first step of the choreographic text (sequence of steps), I really try to immerse myself into the details of the subject matter while being sensitive to the expressive content, which will readily translate into artistic material. Through the creative process, conducting further research is always necessary to refine the choreography and coach the dancers with as much nuance and sensitivity as possible. However, in the beginning, I conducted enough research to articulate moments that need to happen in the choreography as well as the tone and style that best suits the subject matter. In the case of Elizabeth, I began a rough draft of which moments in her life to present onstage. I also intuited that the events and arc of her story are reminiscent of contemporary Georgian Era romantic novels, such as the works by Jane Austen. There are elements of societal pressures, deeply felt romances and losses and a transcendent arc of transformation. It became clear that the tone of the piece should be reminiscent of such novels. Furthermore, the subject matter readily adapts into definitive and useful styles for ballet choreography. This era of Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life included artistic trends in both Classicism and Romanticism; Ballet as an artform has used, developed and combined these styles throughout its choreographic history, so the creation of an Elizabeth ballet may easily build upon this traditional foundation.
CREATIVE PROCESS: SELECTING MUSIC
After establishing a list of key events along with a sense of tone and style, I look for music, because the music will ultimately guide how the events are paced and staged. In some of my previous experiences, as with The Little Slippers, based on a Ukrainian Folk tale by Nikolai Gogol, I adapted the ballet’s libretto from the source material in order to better serve the music. For me, choosing the right music for a piece is like choosing a spouse; it should harmoniously match the core of the piece. I rely on Michel Fokine’s fifth principle when choosing the music. He described how music should be chosen chiefly for its expressive and evocative content. He went on to describe how music should not be chosen necessarily for predictable dance rhythms, rather, the integrity of a piece rests in furnishing every detail to harmoniously express the central ideas and tone of the piece. Certainly, if there is pre-existing music for subject matter, he would encourage using such music. In my previous experience choreographing Macbeth, I chose Richard Strauss’s symphonic poem based on the same subject matter. In reality, there are other compositions for Macbeth by Arthur Sullivan and Giuseppe Verdi, which employ simpler dance rhythms, but I opted for Richard Strauss’s score because it best matched the dramatic intensity and general tone of the play the best, albeit through frankly wild rhythmic complexity.
In the case of Elizabeth Ann Seton, there is no (appropriately secular) musical composition devoted to her explicitly. I perceived two choices: to use contemporary music from her time; or to opt with another composer whose worthy composition about related subject matter could be argued to belong to Elizabeth’s subject matter. Very early on I considered Ottorino Respighi. I was first exposed to Respighi’s music after seeing an original ballet at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Kyiv, Ukraine based on the life of Julius Caesar. The score employed Respighi’s Carnivals of Rome, Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome and his one-act score for The Queen of Sheba. Needless to say, I admired the ballet for many reasons, among them the incredibly dynamic and evocative score. Since then, I had researched more compositions by Respighi, discovering how he wrote several ballets from the Ballet Russes era, in addition to several evocative non-theatrical pieces. In my mental rolodex, I thought of him as a great 20th Century Composer who emphasized Italian subject matter and the use of the violin and considered using him when the time would be right. As I reviewed my list of events in Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life, I was intrigued to find on my list several scenes which take place in Italy and the noteworthy fact that her husband was the first American to own a Stradivarius violin. I turned to Respighi’s compositions and opted to focus on two noteworthy compositions which had Catholic, devotional subject matter, certainly appropriate music in depicting the life of a Catholic Saint. I considered his 30-minute symphonic poem Church Windows, but this music seemed so evocative of the specific subject matter, I opted to focus on his Violin Concerto Gregoriano, based on melodies of Gregorian Chant. This Concerto came to the forefront because the violin would be central and ready for meaningful scenes. It also seemed appropriate to have a score derived from Gregorian Chant because it would give the whole piece a devotional character, which was personally meaningful for me in depicting the life of a Saint. Respighi’s score is also very touching because it maintains three main Gregorian melodies but takes them through several themes and variations, some of which are quite dramatic and anxious. For me, this matches the characterization of a Saint’s life, which has a prevailing, transcendent arc but may also be characterized with chapters of raw suffering. While creating the ballet, I want to both tell Elizabeth’s story with great reverence and awe but also emphasize her humanity and painful struggles, making her accessible for the ballet audience in the same way she remains to her devotees. Even though the creation of Gregorian Chant predates Elizabeth’s life, it remains part of the large Catholic tradition that Elizabeth both encountered and entered. For all of these reasons, the Violin Concerto Gregoriano became my choice.
CREATIVE PROCESS: CHOREOGRAPHIC VISION AND SHAPING THE LIBRETTO
Now after choosing the Concerto Gregoriano as my score, it would guide the actual pacing and staging of scenes and by extension, the libretto. Immediately, when first listening to the music, I could imagine certain scenes from Elizabeth’s life, lining up with the expressive quality of the music. The tone of the music could match the “Jane Austen” quality I was hoping to achieve. Stylistically the music belongs to the Neo-Romantic or “Impressionist” Era, but the virtuosic writing for violin and the Gregorian melodies also lends the piece a sense of Classicism. Sometimes, I feel as if Respighi had been commissioned to write a score for Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life, he couldn’t have come up with a better score. In Movements I & II the Gregorian tones and harmonies certainly lend the music a sense of Medieval Europe, appropriate for the scenes in Italy, where Elizabeth first encounters the Catholic tradition in its full grandeur. However the tone and harmony of the third “Hallelujah” movement inexplicably can pass as something robustly American; this section could pass as a composition by Aaron Copland. I’ve played the score for several close friends and relations, and everyone understands that these scenes take place in the USA and feels the music to be fitting. The expressive arc of this movement, actually inspired the shape of the libretto to expand in a new direction. About a year ago, I first encountered the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rosetti at an exhibit and was moved by one of his paradigmatic works “Found;”a Hugo-esque scene, depicting a fallen woman who looks away in shame as she is “found” by a country drover, understood to be her former sweetheart. This painting epitomizes the Humanism of the 19th Century and indeed offers shade of Jean Valjean encountering the fallen Fantine in Les Misérables; however, based on the originality of such an iconic image, I resolved to eventually create a choreography, which would culminate in a re-creation of that moment. I have similarly done that in Macbeth, re-creating several iconic paintings, especially of Lady Macbeth in poses derived from works by Fuseli and Sargent. The music of this Hallelujah Movement seemed to more clearly tell that arc and I was inspired to flesh out the details by similar scenarios from the musicals Carousel and Les Misérables. In the end, after re-creating the moment with the Country Drover, the fallen woman would be taken to the Sisters of Charity for safety through the winter and receive counseling from Mother Seton through her grief, heartbreak and distress. Mother Seton would offer counseling by drawing on her own experiences, and the ballet would continue as a retrospective of Mother Seton’s own life, remembering her own joys of love, which left her similarly heartbroken because of her husband’s death. Mother Seton can continue to empathize with feelings of isolation in the way she felt rejected by her New York community after her conversion to Catholicism and for the added heartbreak of her children growing up, with some falling into trouble and others succumbing to sickness and death. However, Mother Seton’s Spiritual Peace, allows her vision to penetrate beyond the immediate suffering and find steadfast Hope through her Faith. This story and perspective refreshes the soul of the younger woman and culminates in her soul’s renewal and joyful transformation. This instinct felt right to me because the effect of a Saint’s presence can be seen in the way she transforms other lives around her. This reminded me of the quote by renowned 18th century Russian Orthodox starets, Saint Seraphim of Sarov, “Acquire a Spirit of Peace and a thousand around you will be saved.” I think this added layer offered a clearer way to show the effect of Elizabeth’s saintly presence, especially for ballet. There is also historical precedent; this fallen woman could be a composite of two real-life women who joined Mother Seton’s convent, Sister Harriet and Sister Xavier. However, this character’s name will be Fanny Cornforth, named after the model who posed for Rossetti's painting.
Historically, this Concerto did not enjoy the same popularity as Respighi’s other works; some critics suggest that the beginning is almost too cerebral to catch the audience from the beginning. I similarly felt that, at least for a ballet, there are moments where the same tone is extended too long. Continuing in the tradition of Michel Fokine, as he did in Scherazade, I am comfortable making edits to a score (especially a score not originally written for ballet) especially when it comes to dramatic pacing. Just like Fokine’s work in Scheherazade, I reorder some sections of the movements where there are clean breaks in the music anyway. The score now starts with the “Hallelujah” Movement and tells the story of Fanny Cornforth through her entrance into the Sisters of Charity and first meeting with Mother Seton, which is fraught with grief and emotional anxiety. Mother Seton begins offering her perspective and experiences, and at an appropriate break in the music the score returns to its classic beginning, playing through Movement I & II without any interruptions. As Mother Seton finishes offering her perspective, Movement II comes to a close. The score shifts to the unused end of the “Hallelujah” Movement III, the coda, which creates the necessary resonance with the beginning of the score and as this melody enjoys its final development, Fanny Cornforth’s character enjoys a type of dance-monologue basking in her spiritual renewal.
CREATIVE PROCESS: MOVEMENT VOCABULARY AND DANCE STYLES
Now that I am comfortable with my choice of music, I become as specific and detail-oriented as possible to assign exact scenes to exact measures of the music and essentially develop a complete libretto. When it comes to creating the choreographic text, I value very rhythmic choreography that matches the bass of the music. I maintain that most audiences enjoy choreography when they can feel the same accents in the musical vibrations while they sit in their seat as they can see the dancers match with their steps. I understand that audiences enjoy watching dance when they can identify with the dancers. The expressive performances are key for this, but keeping the audience invested in each moment, I maintain, is best achieved by keeping their attention through the rhythmic marriage of the music and the movement. All of that being said, I will no doubt employ nuances, and the music is full of nuances and some unrhythmic more cadenza-like sections. However, even these sections have some pulsing touchstones and it will be even that much more important to marry these musical moments to appropriate movement, in order to keep the audience feeling and investing in every moment. I also create choreographic text based on each individual character. I do not always use pointework in a ballet if it doesn’t seem appropriate to subject matter or the individual character. However, in this case, because of the spiritual dimension, I believe the use of pointework will be appropriate. Pointework helps when the subject matter of the choreography should transcend reality, and it will be very useful in characterizing several of the main female characters and expressing their full arcs. Indeed, the characters who express a spiritual arc will be given choreographic text with a classical base but imbued with the capacity to be maximally expressive. According to the principles of Michel Fokine, it will use a movement vocabulary developed beyond the ballet d’ecole. For the corps de ballet characters, who will help to establish the settings both in the USA and Italy, there will be some allusions to American courtship dances from the late 18th-early 19th century along with Italian Folk Dance, a tarantella.
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