Media George Balanchine + Agon
Discover why Balanchine has been called "the father of American Ballet" and even the greatest choreographer of all time
George Balanchine Choreographer
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Born
January 22, 1904
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Died
April 30, 1983
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Country
Russia, then United States of America
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Kennedy Center Honors Recipient
1978
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, Balanchine made the United States his adopted homeland in 1933. Before traveling to America, he enjoyed success in France as a choreographer for the Ballet Russe, an innovative company managed by Serge Diaghilev (SER-gay DEE-ah-gih-lef). Balanchine was exposed to many of the leading European artists of the day during his tenure with Diaghilev’s company.
Balanchine arrived in New York City at the invitation of Lincoln Kirstein, a philanthropist who wanted to establish a ballet company in the United States. Ballet was not popular among American audiences at the time, but Kirstein believed the art form could take root and flourish on American soil.
Balanchine and Kirstein established two ballet institutions that are still with us today: The School of American Ballet, which trains young dance professionals, and the New York City Ballet, one of the leading professional dance companies in the world.
During his lifetime, Balanchine choreographed a whopping 465 dances! While many have been lost, those that remain are an important part of the repertory of the New York City Ballet, and are performed by companies all over the globe.
Balanchine did not see himself as a genius or even a creator of ballets, but rather as a disciplined craftsman whose job it was to select the right pieces to put together. He was known to say, “God creates, I assemble.”
Balanchine’s understanding of music was vital to his choreography approach. He began playing the piano at age five and dreamed of becoming a composer like his father. After graduating from the Imperial Ballet School, Balanchine attended the Conservatory of Music in St. Petersburg.
Balanchine was proficient in reading and understanding the structure of musical scores and, as a result, was able to use them as a blueprint for his choreography. His movement is never an exact illustration of the music, but rather an interpretation that compliments the rhythm, quality, and density of the score.
Balanchine collaborated with several accomplished composers, including Igor Stravinsky, who composed music specifically for several of Balanchine’s ballets.
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