“Suzanne Farrell wrote in her autobiography that when she first stepped onto the stage in the pas de deux, her guide was the "lonely" oboe that plays the adagio's major theme. Melancholy does indeed pervade the music, and so the dance. There's another kind of loneliness, too, which is odd considering the ardent attention paid to her by her partner. The ballerina in Diamonds moves in a kind of solitary splendor. She is not self-absorbed like the Paul character in Emeralds, but

Patricia McBride. Photo by Jim Houghton “If there was any single part of Jewels that turned it into a smash hit, it was the pas de deux in Rubies. You simply don't know what extraordinary thing is going to happen next in this encounter between the frolicsome lass and her virile partner. One second, she's plunging forward with all her weight, so that her face touches the floor. Next second, she's in a backbend. One second, she stands upright on pointe. The next, she's practica

Approaching on June 10th is the 90th anniversary of the first performance of Serenade; Balanchine’s first creation on American soil. To...

Speaking of Robbins' In The Night, Clive Barnes wrote, "His dancers remain people, even in the throes of arcanely acrobatic passion"...

Gelsey on being a student: “I developed a lot of inhibitions, complexes about my eyes [too big], my nose [too small], my complexion—every...

Balanchine choreographed “Who Cares?” in 1970 to sixteen Gershwin tunes. “The real hero of the piece is a simple, good-natured,...

Balanchine on Gelsey in his 1970 revival of Firebird: “She’s still a baby, just coming out of the awkward stage. But I didn’t want a...

[16/50] "Victor Castelli was most impressive leading the Candy Canes, his brilliant jumps through the hoop in the coda being particularly...

A series on Robbins’ “In the Night” with all the poetic descriptions authors and critics used to describe each of the 3 couples. —————...

(7/12) "Kay Mazzo’s authoritative, moving portrayal as Titania, cannot be praised enough as an example of artistic growth. It is a fully...

(6/12) Oberon, King of the Fairies Eddie Villella, who originated the role spoke of the experience in his autobiography: “It was simply a...

(5/6) In his 1936 autobiography, (affiliate link) Stravinsky wrote of the original 1928 decor and costumes for Apollo: “I did not see eye...

As Tallchief remembered from her stage vantage: “A firestorm of applause erupted in the City Center, and the audience was on its feet...

Two Serenade moments to share with you today. Descriptions come from Toni Bentley's book Serenade: A Balanchine Story Susan Hendl, Kay...