Balanchine's America

Serenade

Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Costumes by Karinska
Lighting by Nicholas Cavallaro, after Jean Rosenthal
Staged by Victoria Simon and Mark Goldweber

Set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, this sweeping ballet was the first work created by Balanchine in America.  It was originally created in 1934 as an exercise for the students of the newly formed School of American Ballet.  Serenade has since gone into the repertoire of companies around the world. Attendance was sporadic at those first rehearsals, so Balanchine, undaunted, made due with whomever he had in the moment and he incorporated random accidents such as a ballerina falling, a dancer arriving late and someone’s hair coming undone into the final product, creating a ballet of exhilarating movement, lush musicality and moving drama without telling an actual story.

Agon

Ballet West Premiere

Music by Igor Stravinsky (By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Publishers and copyright owners)
Choreography by George Balanchine  © The George Balanchine Trust
Costume Design Traditional
Lighting Design by Nicholas Cavallaro
Staged by Victoria Simon

The Agon pieces were all modeled after examples in a French dance manual of the mid-seventeenth century. Agon (The Contest) is not a mythical subject piece to complete a trilogy with Apollo and Orpheus. In fact, it has no musical or choreographic subject beyond the new interpretation of the venerable dances which are its pretext. It was even conceived without provision for scenery and was independent, at least in Stravinsky’s mind, of décor, period and style. It is a supreme example of Mid-20^th Century American modern art. and  its drive and dynamic typify what is known as American neoclassical ballet which George Balanchine created.

Stars and Stripes

Music adapted and orchestrated by Hershy Kay after music by John Philip Sousa
(By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner)
Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Costumes by Karinska
Original Lighting by Ronald Bates
Lighting by Nicholas Cavallaro, after Mark Stanley
Staged by Elyse Borne

This ballet, more than any other, symbolizes George Balanchine’s deep love and respect for America.  He and Hershy Kay selected several of John Philip Sousa’s marches and used them in working out what can only be described as a balletic parade. The Five Campaigns, or movements, of this ballet use the following marches: Corcuran Cadets (1^st Regiment), Rifle Regiment (2^nd Regiment), Thunder and Gladiator (3^rd Regiment), Liberty Bell and El Capitan (Pas de Deux), Stars and Stripes (Finale). This is quintessential Balanchine – pure, elegant, challenging, classical ballet presented with light-hearted and fun-loving showmanship.