One fall afternoon in 1943, Bernstein received an inquiry from Jerome Robbins, a young dancer with the Ballet Theatre, who had an idea for choreographing a ballet about three young sailors on the loose in New York City. The two men were soon at work on the ballet "Fancy Free", the first of several historic Bernstein-Robbins collaborations. "Fancy Free" premiered on April 18, 1944 with the Ballet Theatre (now the American Ballet Theatre) at the old Metropolitan Opera House, with scenery by Oliver Smith and costumes by Kermit Love. The ballet was an instant hit, with scores of performances, a national tour, and a commercial recording by Decca.