Forever Freddie.

THE EBULLIENT Frederic Franklin stood center stage at the Metropolitan Opera House with his arras wide open, soaking up the love from a wildly applauding audience. Balloons rained from above and bouquets of flowers landed at the man's feet.

Franklin observed his ninetieth birthday in June and American Ballet Theatre celebrated the occasion with a gala performance of Coppelia, which Franklin staged for the company in 1997. For the tribute, Ashley Tuttle and Angel Corella danced the lead roles of Swanilda and Franz. Julie Kent emerged from maternity leave to make a cameo appearance as the doll Coppelia, and Victor Barbee portrayed Dr. Coppelius.

"Freddie is what we all hope we'll become when we grow up," says Barbee. "He's eloquent, elegant, inspiring, encouraging, and has boundless energy."

Franklin's remarkably prolific career spanned the greater part of the twentieth century--from Leonide Massine to George Balanchine to Agnes de Mille, from the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo to the company he started with Mia Slavenska (the short-lived Slavenska-Franklin Ballet) to the Cincinnati Ballet. Franklin has been a dancer, ballet master, choreographer, and artistic director. His dancing partners have included Cuban prima ballerina Alicia Alonso, Balanchine's muse and third wife Maria Tallchief, and the great Russian beauty Alexandra Danilova.

Franklin is a living legend, ballet royalty, a golden thread woven through dance history. He continues to work to this day, performing character roles with ABT, setting portions of almost-forgotten ballets for the Balanchine Trust, including the original Mozartiana.

"After the performance, I made a deal with him," says Barbee. "I said, 'Freddie, I'll see you in ten years. You come on stage for your one hundredth, and I'll do Dr. Coppelius.'"