Jillana in Serenade. Photo by Martha Swope, 1959 Jillana in I Remember Balanchine : “My fondest memories are of Serenade. I loved doing the Dark Angel. Even though there was no real story in it, I always had a story. I would make up different ones when I danced it, and I danced all the parts from top to bottom. I would make up stories about being in love with Nicky Magallanes and trying to get him away from whoever the other girl was, pulling and pushing. I made it into a lov

The following text comes from Edward Villella's autobiography, Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic. The major breakthrough in my career came in 1960. I was cast in Prodigal Son, and in typical New York City Ballet fashion no one ever talked to me about it officially. I wasn't even aware that Prodigal was being revived. I was standing around waiting for a rehearsal to finish when Diana Adams turned to me and said, "Oh, congratulations." I said, "A

Men (L-R): Nicolas Magallanes, Jonathan Watts, ? Women(L-R): ?, Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden, Jillana, ? On Balanchine’s Divertimento No....

On October 11, 1948, New York City Ballet gave its first official performance at the City Center Theater. The program was all Balanchine....

[4/50] “I loved Nutcracker, especially doing Dewdrop. I felt that was really dancing, even more than when I did the Sugar Plum Fairy.”...

(1/6) “Ballet began when Terpsichore touched Apollo’s finger, as on the Sistine ceiling God touches Adam’s, and inspired a pas de deux in...

Here are 5 of Balanchine’s Waltz Girls in the same arabesque. So interesting to see how the same choreography can still be so different....