by the time the ballet was performed, stravinsky was no longer involved with the project. the arrangement of the piece for an organ and a concert band was done by david raksin. balanchine choreographed the "circus polka" for fifty elephants and fifty human dancers, led by the cow elephant modoc and by balanchine's wife and principal ballerina vera zorina respectively. the elephants, including the bulls, were decked out in pink ballet tutus. reporters were at first concerned that stravinsky's music might cause the elephants to panic. balanchine was eventually able to teach modoc the choreography.