New York City Ballet ‘Stravinsky & Balanchine’ (Winter 2018)

DANCE, French Archive, Italian / March 3, 2018 by Editors

Fall in love with the deeply personal connection between two Russians, both masters of the ballet form in their respective disciplines: George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky.

Suki Schorer, former New York City Ballet Principal ballerina, and the leading living expert on Balanchine technique, tells a story of talking with Balanchine outside of Lincoln Center while it was under construction. In the middle of the conversation, who shows up in a horse-drawn carriage? Stravinsky of course. The two artists inspired each other.

Stravinsky & Balanchine Ballets

Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fée (1974)

The Fairy’s Kiss is an abstraction of Hans Christian Andersen’s tragic fairytale, The Ice Maiden (1861). Balanchine had a long history of working this theme, first in 1937 and again in 1972. He added this last movement in 1974.

Agon (1957)

Balanchine based his masterpiece Agon on diagrams in a mid-17th century French manual of court dances. That makes sense as ballet is an Italian court dance developed in the French royal court by Italian-born French Queen Catherine de’ Medici (1519 – 1589).

Balanchine reinterpreted the saraband, galliard, and bransle dances for twelve dancers in his now classic Black & White style without story, costume or scenery. It’s pure dance.

The music was Stravinsky’s first twelve-tone musical piece. In combination with Balanchine’s neo-classical movement, Agon is a modern masterpiece.

Duo Concertant (1972)

https://youtu.be/MZNdo94–Ds

The music is a 1932 composition for violin and piano. Balanchine choreographed it for the 1972 Stravinsky Festival.

Symphony in Three Movements (1972)

https://youtu.be/VovUnWWZZnY

The music was Stravinsky’s first major composition after he migrated to the United States.

This is one of Balanchine’s most famous leotard ballets, so called because though not simply Black and White, the costumes are almost practice clothing.