Carnival of the Animals is a musical suite written by Camille Saint Saëns in 1886. Saint Saëns wrote the suite for amusement and never wanted it performed in public or published during his lifetime. As a serious composer he thought this piece might interfere with his reputation. To this day Carnival of the Animals is one of Saint Saëns best-known works.

In 2003 Carnival of the Animals was produced by the The New York City Ballet with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and narration by John Lithgow. The production included almost 50 dancers.

Carnival of the Animals, the ballet has also been produced all over the globe with many other professional ballet companies and ballet schools each with their own creative exploration using this entertaining suite.