NYCB Vol 2. No. 6 - La Valse

The original principal couple in Balanchine’s La Valse (1951) was Tanaquil LeClercq and Nicholas Magallanes. The day after the premiere John Martin wrote: “There can be no doubt that the New York City Ballet has a hit on its hands […] Nor can there be any doubt that George Balanchine is an artist of enormous resources and unimpeachable integrity.”

I particularly liked this line from the New York Times review which shed some light on the undertones of this ballet for me: “There is in the choreography from beginning to end the odor of sweet decay” -

--John Martin, 1951

Tanny and Nicholas Magallanes perform La Valse at Jacob’s Pillow in 1951. Photo by John Lindquist

MORE:

Video clips of Tanny and Nicholas performing excerpts at Jacob’s Pillow. This performance took place 6 months after the premiere in NYC. The footage is silent and piano accompaniment was added by Dianne Children in 1994 through @nypl_lpa @jeromerobbinsdancedivision

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Check out the La Valse ornament in the shop: