"Within a few weeks there was genuine excitement when we premièred a very experimental new ballet. The company had danced the previous July in Montreal at Expo '67, and Balanchine, touring the various exhibitions, first heard the "music" of the Greek mathematical composer lannis Xenakis. It was played in conjunction with a light show that structurally mimicked the sounds, and I think that idea intrigued Mr. B. Xenakis' Mestastaseis & Pithoprakta consisted of sixty-one differe

“Last night's program by the New York City Ballet at the City Center did not go in for novelty, but it certainly concentrated on performance with excellent results. The only unfamiliar item of the evening was Violette Verdy's first appearance in the role of the Sleepwalker in George Balanchine's "The Night Shadow," which she brought off with her by now well-established distinction. It is a role set in a single key and providing the slenderest thread upon which to hang charact

From Amanda Vaill's Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins: Photo by Martha Swope, 1958 "Jerry had originally conceived it as an ambitious work, an 'examination of the Beat Generation' —which he described to Lenny Bernstein as 'our WSS kids a little older'—'and their search, pain, drives, ecstasies, depressions, and astonished puzzlement.' Typically, he'd given himself a cram course in the subject. He'd [visited] the joints myself and read... as many articles as I can,' includ

Susan Hendl and Michael Steele. Photo by Martha Swope, 1968. "Last night at the State Theater the New York City Ballet: presented George Balanchine's 'Metastaseis & Pithoprakta,' which fortunately you don't have to be able to pronounce to enjoy. "Unlike most choreographers who find the pattern of movement the most difficult part of a ballet, Mr. Balanchine gets: hung up on titles. This most recent and startling work takes its name from the two pieces of music by lannis Xenaki

Barbara Bocher. Photo by Walter E. Owen, 1952 "Underneath her treasure chest of jewels was a heart of gold, for she offered to do the costumes at cost as a favor to Mr. Balanchine. I remember going to my first fitting. She had me try on a half-finished costume and asked me to do some steps so she could see if it looked right when I moved. Mr. B was there and they stood together, he looking rather amused at my self-conscious adjustments. I was barefooted and barely covered up

Walter Terry: "Sheer delight. Last evening's audience guffawed, sighed, and cheered as the ballet progressed along an unexpected route from horseplay through tender romance to a flamboyant, circuslike finish. The fun is spontaneous and not at all contrived, the romantic section is fresh yet easy in its movement patterns, and the closing polonaise incorporates practically every known trick for bringing down the house. Harold Lang, Tanaquil LeClercq, Nicholas Magallanes, Maria

Photo by Radford Bascome, 1954. From Allegra Kent's autobiography Once A Dancer: "'Did you hear that?' Mr. B. imitated a trumpet and repeated a voice we just heard in the piano score. I nodded my head. 'Allegra, when that starts, open your arms slowly and start to sit.' Now the men received their instructions. 'Make a chair for her with your hands.' Mr. B. continued to surprise us. "I was to be like an elastic icon, ever unattainable, standing on the shoulders of two of the m

Jacques d'Amboise: "To this day, I consider Todd Bolender among the greatest dance artists I've ever seen on the stage, not just for The Four Temperaments, but in every role I saw him perform. His genius was in giving full value to every gesture of the dance, as if it were the only movement he would ever make, the beginning and end of the universe. Each movement, Todd imbued with drama and theater, as if the music and gestures contained dialogue, silent words holding secrets

Edwin Denby: "The Ballet Society, New York's new subscription organization for producing ballet and opera, opened with startling brilliance on November 20, presenting to its subscribers Ravel's one-act opera The Spellbound Child, and a new Balanchine ballet, The Four Temperaments. "The audience, an experienced one, welcomed the executants and welcomed The Four Temperaments in particular as a novelty of extraordinary fascination and power. In its flavor The Four Temperaments

The original costumes for The Four Temperaments did not last long. The ballet premiered in 1946 and the costumes were discarded in 1951. Today the ballet is performed in black leotard and skin-toned tights. In this post I have gathered all of the photos I can find of the original costumes in order of appearance in the ballet, listed with the original principals dancers of each section. "Tchelitchev suggested Kurt Seligmann, an erudite painter with a big library of alchemy and

Balanchine (standing front, holding chair) and Tanaquil LeClercq (behind with arms lifted). Photo by Martha Swope, 1956. "George Balanchine, artistic director of the New York City Ballet and choreographer de luxe, made an unprogrammed appearance in the cast of Jerome Robbins’ new ballet, ‘The Concert,’ at the City Center last night. Because of the illness of Todd Blender, MR. Balanchine took over the mid portions of his role, and Robert Barnett stepped into the dance portions

Francisco Moncion. Photo by Martha Swope, 1972. "An image I treasure is that of [Francisco] Moncion fluttering around like a demented butterfly with a cigar clamped between his teeth, like Broderick Crawford cast as The Queen of the May. Robbins's humor is brilliantly and specifically American..." --Joseph H. Mazo, Women's Wear Daily, 1971 Francisco Moncion. Photo by Martha Swope, 1972. Moncion: "It's fun to do sometimes, but you have to really work yourself into the mood, br

"Yes, there is something of the Paris Opera Ballet and the 19th‐century about the ensembles in the New York City Ballet's 'La Source.' With so many pretty girls in pink tutus waving their arms and kicking their legs to Leo Delibes's music, one can just hear a Comte de Cambriolage looking the field over from his box and asking about the third one from the left. "But if there is a touch of decadence about George Balanchine's musings on the 19th century French music from two Del

"George Balanchine is very fond of referring to himself as a carpenter. At the New York State Theater Source," he showed his skill at joinery. 'La Source' is a work that combines his new 'Delibes' Pas de Deux with salient parts of the earlier 'Sylvia' Pas de Deux and Divertissement. The results are never less than interesting, but never more than agreeable. Violette Verdy. Photos by Fred Fehl, 1968. Harry Ransom Center. "The original pas de deux has been amplified by the olde

“‘Diamonds’ demonstrates the quintessential Balanchine, down to the last ballerina-worshipping hand kiss by her cavalier. In the ballet’s exquisite pas de deux, Peter Martins, every ince equal to his ballerina, and Suzanne Farrell turned out a truly great, especially well-bred performance.” —Anna Kisselgoff, New York Times, 1975 Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins (Balanchine center). WNET Filming. Photos by Martha Swope, 1977.

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

“Drifting past us on air currents, rather than meter, Emeralds seems to happen partly out of view, as though a shifting cloud cover separates the dancers from the audience. The atmosphere is one of restraint. The two principal women hold their arabesques low, while the ensemble raises their legs not once. Lifts end in deep pliés, like sighs. The women swoon. They hold dialogues with themselves. All is quiet, sometimes hushed. Sometimes one dare not breathe, lest one violate t

Me, (Lauryn Johnson) ushering at NYCB. Photo by Rosalie O'Connor, 2025. I’m entering my 6th season as an usher at NYCB. I’ve worked approximately 800 NYCB shows. I’ve had a lot of time to observe. The stage, yes, but also the audience. I’ve learned a lot about human behavior—the good, the bad and the ugly. But I’ve also learned the NYCB audience is a unique and living organism. If you love this theater, this company, I hope you’ll read this ode to the audience and see what i