Cover Page                                                             424(b)(3)






SUPPLEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2001 TO THE CURRENT PROSPECTUSES FOR THE:

     o   EQUITABLE VARIABLE ANNUITY PROSPECTUSES
     o   EQUITABLE VARIABLE LIFE PROSPECTUSES
     o   EQ ADVISORS TRUST PROSPECTUS AND STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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We are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to approve the
substitution of securities issued by the EQ Advisors Trust's ("Trust")
EQ/Balanced Portfolio ("Substituted Portfolio") for securities issued by four
other portfolios of the Trust, the Alliance Conservative Investors Portfolio,
the Mercury World Strategy Portfolio, the EQ/Evergreen Foundation Portfolio and
the EQ/Putnam Balanced Portfolio (collectively, "Removed Portfolios") currently
available under the variable investment options (the "Substitution"). The
Substituted Portfolio will have similar investment objectives, investment
strategies, and anticipated risks to those of the Removed Portfolios. The assets
of the Removed Portfolios would be transferred to the Substituted Portfolio and
will be available under a corresponding variable investment option.

We believe that this Substitution will be in your best interest because the
Substituted Portfolio is similar to the Removed Portfolios and has a lower
expense ratio than the expense ratio of any of the Removed Portfolios. Equitable
will continue to be the manager of the Substituted Portfolio, just as it
currently is the manager of the Removed Portfolios. Alliance Capital Management,
L.P. and Capital Guardian Trust Company will continue to provide the day-to-day
advisory services to discrete portions of the Substituted Portfolio, and
Prudential Investments Fund Management, LLC and Jennison Associates, LLC will
jointly continue to provide the day-to-day advisory services to the other
discrete portion of the Substituted Portfolio.

You should note that:

     o   No action is required on your part. You will not need to vote a proxy,
         file a new election or take any other action if the SEC approves the
         Substitution.
     o   The elections you have on file for allocating your account value and
         contributions will remain unchanged until you direct us otherwise.
     o   We will bear all expenses directly relating to the Substitution
         transaction.
     o   The management fees for the Substituted Portfolio will be same as or
         lower than those for the Removed Portfolios, while the total expense
         ratio of the Substituted Portfolio is expected to be lower than those
         of the Removed Portfolios.
     o   On the effective date of the Substitution transaction, your account
         value will be the same as before the transaction.
     o   The Substitution will have no tax consequences for you.

Subject to SEC approval, we expect the Substitution to be completed in the
spring of 2001. It will affect everyone who has amounts invested in any of the
Removed Portfolios at that time. Of course, you may transfer your account value
among the investment options, as usual.

We will notify you when we receive SEC approval, and again when the Substitution
is complete.

    Please write to The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States
              1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10104
                                for a copy of the
      Trust Prospectus or an Equitable Variable Annuity or Life Prospectus