Violette Verdy. Photo by Fred Fehl, 1967. "Gems may or may not improve with age, but there was no mistaking the enduring luster of George Balanchine's "Jewels" last night at the State Theater at Lincoln Center. "'Jewels,' the ballet that was born last season without a name, occupied the place of honor, opening the New York City Ballet's 45th season, which was a benefit for the Women's Division of the Federation of the Handicapped. "Like any product with vintage qualities, 'Je

“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

Arthur Mitchell & Diana Adams. Photos by Martha Swope, 1957 Diana Adams remembers that Balanchine wanted to compose the pas de deux before setting any of the other dances; this implied to her that he felt it would give him the key or approach to the rest of the work. Says Mitchell of that famous part, "The pas de deux is like seeing live sculpture. Before your eyes, the dancers move from one fantastic pose to another, but you don't know how they got there. Balanchine said, "T

Albert Evans and Wendy Whelan. Photo by Paul Kolnik Wendy Whelan describes the impression that Balanchine's Agon made on her when she saw it for the first time at age 14, while spending her first summer in NYC as a student. "That summer, I witnessed ballerinas spinning across the stage so ridiculously fast that I almost felt blinded by them. I was spellbound by a team of Amazonian women in red kilts kicking their legs so high and with such attack that it left me breathless. I

Photo by Martha Swope, 1958. From Edward Villella's autobiography Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic "One day Balanchine stopped me and matter-of-factly told me that I was going to be the understudy for Todd Bolender in Agon. I thought this was terrible news. Agon was probably the single most complicated work in the history of classical dance up to then. I was still trying to adjust to the sounds of the music. It was the first time I had been ex

Jacques d'Amboise with Suzanne Farrell, Gloria Govrin and Patricia Neary in Balanchine's Apollo, 1965. “It was becoming a more and more...

“In [the final] scene [of Firebird], the music swells to a glorious finish, but since there’s no movement, and all is still, it’s as if...

"When we started the pas de deux, I felt secure. Standing up stage, I took an extra breath, and then made the flying leap into Frank’s...

Maria Tallchief and Francisco Moncion. Photo by Martha Swope. New York Public Library “It was Maria Tallchief’s performance in...

Leon Danielian and Alexandra Danilova 1940s Alexandra Danilova's memories of Danses Concertantes : In the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, I...

Merrill Ashley, Sean Lavery and Mel Tomlinson. Photo by Martha Swope, 1982. Robbins’ “Concertino” was originally the third part of a...

Frederic Franklin & Alexandra Danilova. Photo by Constantine, 1944 Below is a review written by Edwin Denby, September 11, 1944 after the...

In his autobiography I Was a Dancer , Jacques d’Amboise recounts how Balanchine’s Movements for Piano and Orchestra came to be: “Diana...

Balanchine’s Divertimento from “Le Baiser de la Fée” Nancy Reynolds: “Balanchine’s gift for choreographing to the strength of his dancers...

Photos by Beverly Gallegos for Dance Magazine. “Ah, this pearl,” Mr. Balanchine mused aloud, “now how do I mount it?” --John Corry, New...

“It was in 1977, the City Ballet's first performance after a long orchestra strike. The audience booed the musicians as they took their...

Patricia McBride: “The woman is strong, but she’s very feminine and the male is the powerhouse. We had such passion together dancing it,...

"Yet Tuesday, the ballet confirmed itself as one of the most exciting works in the entire international repertory. The electrifying...

"Miss Watts danced this exuberant quirky choreography with a special slink. […] She has captured the pinup-girl tone of the choreography....