Description

"Dance of the Hours" is the act 3 finale of the opera "La Gioconda" composed by Amilcare Ponchielli. It depicts the hours of the day through solo and ensemble dances.

Later performed on its own, the "Dance of the Hours" was at one time one of the best known and most frequently performed ballets. It became even more widely known after its inclusion in the 1940 Disney animated film "Fantasia" where it is depicted as a comic ballet featuring anthropomorphized ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators.