George Balanchine

George Balanchine
Name	George Balanchine
Caption	Balanchine in the 1960s
Birth name	Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze
Birth date	22 January 1904
Birth place	Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Death date	30 April 1983
Death place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	Georgian-American
Occupation	Choreographer, ballet master
Known for	Co-founder of the New York City Ballet, neoclassical ballet
Spouse	Tamara Geva (1926–1926), Alexandra Danilova (1926–1933), Vera Zorina (1938–1946), Maria Tallchief (1946–1952), Tanaquil Le Clercq (1952–1969)

George Balanchine. A towering figure in 20th-century dance, he is widely regarded as the foremost architect of American ballet. Co-founding the New York City Ballet and serving as its artistic director for decades, he developed a revolutionary neoclassical style that emphasized speed, clarity, and musicality. His prolific output, including masterworks like The Nutcracker and Jewels, fundamentally reshaped the art form and established a lasting legacy through the institutions and dancers he trained.

Early life and training

Born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze in 1904 in Saint Petersburg, he was the son of a noted Georgian composer, Meliton Balanchivadze. In 1913, he entered the Imperial Ballet School, the prestigious academy affiliated with the Mariinsky Theatre. His training was rigorous and comprehensive, encompassing not only dance but also music, with studies in piano and musical theory. The school was deeply influenced by the choreographic traditions of Marius Petipa and the teaching methods of instructors like Pavel Gerdt. Following the Russian Revolution, the institution was renamed the Petrograd Conservatory, and he graduated into the newly formed Soviet state ballet company, then known as the Petrograd Opera and Ballet Theater.

Career in Europe

In 1924, while on a European tour with the Soviet State Dancers, he defected and was soon invited by Sergei Diaghilev to join the legendary Ballets Russes in Paris. As a choreographer for the company, he created early works like Apollo (1928), set to music by Igor Stravinsky, beginning a lifelong artistic partnership. After the death of Sergei Diaghilev in 1929, he worked as a freelance choreographer across Europe, including engagements at the Royal Danish Ballet and the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. During this period, he also collaborated with Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill on the musical The Seven Deadly Sins and began working with his future collaborator, Lincoln Kirstein.

Founding of New York City Ballet

In 1933, at the invitation of the arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, he moved to the United States with the mission of establishing an American ballet tradition. Together, they founded the School of American Ballet in New York City in 1934. This led to the formation of several performing companies, including the American Ballet Caravan and the Ballet Society. Their efforts culminated in 1948 with the establishment of the New York City Ballet as the resident company of the New York City Center. Under his artistic direction, the company moved to its permanent home at the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center in 1964, becoming a world-renowned institution.

Choreographic style and innovations

His neoclassical style broke from the narrative-heavy, ornate traditions of 19th-century Russian ballet. He stripped away elaborate plot and decor to focus on pure dance and a profound connection to music, often working with composers like Igor Stravinsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Paul Hindemith. He developed a unique athleticism and speed, particularly for the female dancer, extending the ballet line with pointe work that served as a rhythmic instrument. This approach, sometimes termed "leotard ballets," emphasized the dancer's body and movement as the central artistic statement, influencing generations of choreographers including Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp.

Major works and legacy

His repertoire includes seminal works such as Serenade (1934), Concerto Barocco (1941), and the full-length story ballets The Nutcracker (1954) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962). His abstract triptych Jewels (1967) is considered the first full-length plotless ballet. His legacy is perpetuated through the global reach of the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, which continue to perform his works according to precise stylistic traditions. The Balanchine Trust is responsible for licensing his choreography to companies worldwide, including the Paris Opera Ballet and The Royal Ballet.

Personal life and death

His personal life was deeply intertwined with his art, and he was married several times to dancers in his companies, including Tamara Geva, Alexandra Danilova, Vera Zorina, Maria Tallchief, and Tanaquil Le Clercq. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1939. In his later years, his health declined, and he was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a rare neurological disorder. He died in New York City in 1983 and was interred at the Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor, New York. His influence remains omnipresent in ballet, cementing his status as one of the most important choreographers in history.

Category:American choreographers Category:Ballet masters Category:New York City Ballet