The Great Gatsby Ballet

Nick Carraway reflects on his life, recalling a story that once consumed him. As he writes, thrilling and devastating memories from one unforgettable summer flood back…

Scene I
A young Nick arrives at Penn Station in New York with starry-eyed, big-city ambitions. Unable to afford Manhattan, he rents a modest cottage in West Egg, Long Island, next door to a sprawling mansion. Nick notices a shadowy figure in the mansion’s window, who seems to be watching him.

Scene II
Nick visits his cousin Daisy in East Egg and meets her domineering husband, Tom Buchanan, and their friend, the enigmatic Jordan Baker. Nick is drawn to Jordan, but senses tension in Daisy’s marriage which makes him uneasy, especially when Tom is called away for a phone call. That night, Nick hears loud music and laughter drifting from the mansion next door. Soon after, a butler delivers an invitation to a party at the home of Jay Gatsby.

Scene III
Nick attends Gatsby’s wild and extravagant party, where he mingles with Jordan and finally meets the mysterious host. In private, Gatsby reveals to Nick that he has been deeply in love with Daisy for many years, and asks Nick to arrange a secret reunion.

Scene IV
Nick is torn about helping Gatsby until he discovers that Tom, Daisy’s husband, is having an affair with Myrtle, the wife of a local gas station owner. On a trip into the city, Tom and Nick stop at this gas station, engaging with Myrtle’s husband George as the other employees take care of Tom’s car.

Scene V
Nick reluctantly joins Tom and Myrtle at a raucous party in their Manhattan hideaway. Although it’s uncomfortable at first, Nick starts to have a good time. However, Myrtle’s tipsy and flirty behavior enrages Tom, who strikes her and storms out.

Scene VI
Nick finally agrees to help Gatsby, and hosts a tea party at his cottage, arranged to perfection by Gatsby’s staff. Daisy arrives and is welcomed by Nick, but when Gatsby appears, it is as if time has stopped. Their connection reignites, and Daisy is swept into Gatsby’s luxurious life.

Scene I
Gatsby hosts yet another wild party, and has specifically invited Daisy and Tom. Seeing them together, Tom gets suspicious and jealous, with his hostility to Gatsby growing by the minute. Tom drags Daisy out of the party and the night ends.

Scene II
At his mansion, Gatsby waits for Daisy, having dismissed his servants for privacy. She finally arrives, and they spend hours together, caught up in the romance and nostalgia. Eventually, however, they come back to their senses and Daisy leaves, unsure of what she should do next.

Scene III
Gatsby, Nick, Tom, Daisy and Jordan head into New York City, crammed into two cars: Gatsby’s yellow one and Tom’s blue one. The two men swap keys and drive each other’s cars for fun. In a suite at the Plaza Hotel, emotions boil over. Gatsby confronts Tom, declaring that Daisy never loved him. Tom tells Daisy that Gatsby is a criminal who doesn’t belong in their world. Daisy is torn between the two men, wanting to follow her heart but to also respect her marriage. Gatsby is enraged, and attempts to fight Tom, but Daisy intervenes, and then runs out of the room with Gatsby’s car keys. Gatsby follows, and the two head out of the city in the yellow car.

Scene IV
At the gas station, George works while Myrtle argues with him. She decides to leave and packs a bag, while George tries to stop her from going. She hears a car coming, and thinking it’s Tom, runs into the road and is struck down.

Scene V
The scene is chaos as the police arrive. George is filled with grief and rage. Tom, driving back to East Egg with Nick and Jordan, stops at the scene and is devastated by what has happened. Tom seizes the opportunity to blame Gatsby for everything.

Scene VI
Back at his mansion, Gatsby waits alone, still hoping Daisy will call, but the phone remains silent. Nick arrives instead, believing that Gatsby killed Myrtle, but Gatsby reveals the truth about who was driving. Nick tries to console him, and also let him down easy, but Gatsby is convinced Daisy will still come back to him.

Scene VII
George Wilson, crazed with grief and fed false information by Tom, grabs a gun and sets out for revenge. He heads to Gatsby’s mansion, sees the car that killed his wife, and shoots Gatsby, before turning the gun on himself.

Scene VIII
Nick, left to deal with the aftermath of these tragedies, tries desperately to reach Gatsby’s friends, but no one answers. Tom and Daisy have left town, Jordan is unreachable and the rest of Gatsby’s social circle has evaporated, people going about their lives as if Gatsby never existed.

Disillusioned by East Egg’s glittering facade, Nick decides to move back home, his dreams of New York tarnished. At Penn Station once again, he crosses paths with Tom, who justifies his actions with chilling indifference. Nick refuses to shake his hand, turning away from the man who destroyed so many lives. Yet, Nick cannot help but reflect on Gatsby’s unyielding belief in an unattainable dream that burned brightly until the end. Nick vows to remember Gatsby, the man who dared to chase the impossible, even as the rest of the world forgets.