Who Was George Balanchine?

George Balanchine (1904-1983), was a Russian born choreographer and ballet dancer, the most influential figure in international ballet since Fokine and Nijinsky. His unorthodox work caused arguments as early as 1922.

He was chief choreographer for Diaghilev’s company, 1925-1929, when he began his long association with the composer Stravinsky.

Apart from his legacy in establishing the American-style ballet, Balanchine also contributed to the ballet education in the United States. In 1933 he went to the United States and founded what eventually became the New York City Ballet. For this company he created the most choreography by one person in the history of ballet.

George Balanchine’s most widely recognized commercial and public works:

·        Apollo (1928): Set to music by Igor Stravinsky, this is his oldest surviving ballet and the piece that launched neoclassical ballet style.

·        Serenade (1934): The first ballet he choreographed in America, set to Tchaikovsky, known for its sweeping, dreamlike ensemble patterns.

·        The Four Temperaments (1946): A stark, angular, and modernist masterpiece exploring medieval humors to music by Paul Hindemith.

·        The Nutcracker (1954): His first full-length work for the New York City Ballet, establishing the ultimate Christmas tradition in America.

·        Jewels (1967): A full-length, three-part abstract work inspired by emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.

Upon his arrival in the United States in 1933, Balanchine sensed the urgency of establishing an institutionalized ballet school to deliver systematic training in ballet. Established in 1934, the School of American Ballet was taught based on the Russian ballet style Balanchine once received himself with his own alternations. Balanchine’s pedagogues focused on clarity and breadth of motion, sharpness of nuance, and intensity of image.

Balanchine’s lessons delivered were not set in stone, but instead an evolving glossary: he continuously tested his concepts on the stage, and renewed his teaching from time to time to reflect the most up-to-date ideal concepts.

Content for this question contributed by Jason Barrow, resident of Portland, Oregon, USA