▁into ▁a ▁bal let , ▁while ▁she ▁performed ▁on stage ▁in ▁The ▁S leep ing ▁Beaut y . ▁ ▁Mac Mill an ▁began ▁ch ore ograph ing ▁Man on ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 – 7 4 ▁season . ▁He ▁left ▁the ▁title ▁character ▁open ▁to ▁differ ing ▁dan cer ▁interpret ations , ▁but ▁was ▁himself ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁her ▁pover ty , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁her ▁desire ▁to ▁escape ▁this ▁that ▁under p inned ▁her ▁dec isions . ▁ ▁Mac Mill an ▁used ▁the ▁designs ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁Georg i ad is , ▁which ▁reflected ▁the ▁" prec ari ous ▁division ▁between ▁op ul ence ▁and ▁de grad ation " ▁with ▁" the ▁st en ch ▁of ▁pover ty ▁ever - present ". ▁The ▁bal let ' s ▁narr ative ▁structure ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁that ▁of ▁Mac Mill an ' s ▁earlier ▁Rome o ▁and ▁Jul iet , ▁with ▁hero ▁and ▁hero ine ▁meeting ▁each ▁other ▁as ▁young ▁innoc ents ▁and ▁their ▁love ▁being ▁revealed ▁through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁pas ▁de ▁deux . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁responses ▁to ▁the ▁opening ▁night ▁performance ▁were ▁mixed . ▁The ▁Guardian ▁newspaper ▁stated , ▁" Bas ically , ▁Man on ▁is ▁a ▁sl ut ▁and ▁Des ▁Gr ieux ▁is ▁a ▁fool ▁and ▁they ▁move ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁uns av our y ▁company ", ▁while ▁the ▁Mor ning ▁Star ▁described ▁the ▁bal let ▁as ▁" an ▁app alling ▁waste ▁of ▁the ▁lov ely ▁Anto in ette ▁S ible y , ▁who ▁is ▁reduced ▁to