George Balanchine
Essay
George Balanchine
I chose to research on George Balanchine because he became known as the most influential ballet choreographer of the 20th century. He not only was the most influential ballet choreographer, but he worked with leading figures of American musical theatre two revues, fourteen musical comedies, four operettas, five Hollywood films, and a circus spectacle that are milestones of American popular culture. He was a very versatile choreographer and that’s what makes him very special to me. To be a versatile dance is always a plus. Also, George Balanchine was very close with Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky who had absolutely fantastic music. Thirty-nine out of over four hundred ballets, George Balanchine used Stravinsky’s music. One of my favorite ballets is The Nutcracker, and it holds a very special place in my heart. I have danced in The Nutcracker for the past 8 years and it’s the one thing I look forward to every year. Unfortunately, now that I’m graduating this year, this Christmas was the last time I will be preforming in The Nutcracker for my dance studio. Balanchine changed and shaped the style of ballet.
When Balanchine was only ten years old he began to start making dances. "I taught this little ballet to eight boys in my class at school," Balanchine recalled. Balanchine was born to be a choreographer. Balanchine formed his own company in 1933, Les Ballets. He collaborated with such leading artistic figures as Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill (The Seven Deadly Sins), artist Pavel Tchelitchew, and composers Darius Milhaud and Henri Sauguet. Boston-born dance connoisseur Lincoln Kristein harbored a dream: He wanted to establish an American school of ballet that would equal — even rival — the established European schools, and he wanted to establish an American ballet company. Through Romola Nijinsky, whom Kirstein had assisted in her research for a biography of her husband, Kirstein met Balanchine and saw in him the means by which this dream
George Balanchine
I chose to research on George Balanchine because he became known as the most influential ballet choreographer of the 20th century. He not only was the most influential ballet choreographer, but he worked with leading figures of American musical theatre two revues, fourteen musical comedies, four operettas, five Hollywood films, and a circus spectacle that are milestones of American popular culture. He was a very versatile choreographer and that’s what makes him very special to me. To be a versatile dance is always a plus. Also, George Balanchine was very close with Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky who had absolutely fantastic music. Thirty-nine out of over four hundred ballets, George Balanchine used Stravinsky’s music. One of my favorite ballets is The Nutcracker, and it holds a very special place in my heart. I have danced in The Nutcracker for the past 8 years and it’s the one thing I look forward to every year. Unfortunately, now that I’m graduating this year, this Christmas was the last time I will be preforming in The Nutcracker for my dance studio. Balanchine changed and shaped the style of ballet.
When Balanchine was only ten years old he began to start making dances. "I taught this little ballet to eight boys in my class at school," Balanchine recalled. Balanchine was born to be a choreographer. Balanchine formed his own company in 1933, Les Ballets. He collaborated with such leading artistic figures as Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill (The Seven Deadly Sins), artist Pavel Tchelitchew, and composers Darius Milhaud and Henri Sauguet. Boston-born dance connoisseur Lincoln Kristein harbored a dream: He wanted to establish an American school of ballet that would equal — even rival — the established European schools, and he wanted to establish an American ballet company. Through Romola Nijinsky, whom Kirstein had assisted in her research for a biography of her husband, Kirstein met Balanchine and saw in him the means by which this dream
Cited: "George Balanchine." New York City Ballet. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nycballet.com/Explore/Our-History/George-Balanchine.aspx>. The George Balanchine Foundation. "Popular Balanchine." Foundation Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. Innovator of American Ballet. N.p.: n.p., n.d. eLibrary. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/curriculum/do/document?set=search&dictionaryClick=&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=7&edition=&ts=A3EAE72C44D06A0D66834140C8654841_1357862171516&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B133475830>. Rinehart, Lisa. "Secrets of Serenade." Dance Magazine: n. pag. Print. West, Martha Ullman. Dance Teacher. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.