Symphony in C

Music

Georges Bizet

Choreography

George Balanchine

Performed with:

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A grand classical masterpiece, Symphony in C dazzles audiences with over 50 dancers covered in Swarovski elements and a spectacular finale uniting the entire cast.

Georges Bizet composed his Symphony in C Major when he was a 17-year-old pupil of Charles Gounod at the Paris Conservatory. The manuscript was lost for decades and was published only after it was discovered in the Conservatory’s library in 1933.

Balanchine first learned of the long-vanished score from Stravinsky. He required only two weeks to choreograph it as Le Palais de Cristal for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947, where he was serving as a guest ballet master. When he revived the work the following year for New York City Ballet’s first program on October 11, 1948, he simplified the sets and costumes and changed the title. The ballet has remained a vital part of the Company’s repertory ever since.

For the 2012 Spring Season, new costumes for the ballet were designed by Marc Happel, NYCB’s Director of Costumes. The new designs were created in collaboration with Swarovski, and the production features costumes, as well as newly designed crowns, headpieces, and earrings, all created using Swarovski Elements.

32 minutes

Anatomy of a Dance

Joseph Gordon on Symphony in C

Joseph Gordon explains how he maintains an easy, breezy upper body while riding the music in Balanchine’s challenging Symphony in C.

Anatomy of a Dance

Sara Mearns on Symphony in C

Sara Mearns describes the near-psychic connection that exists between herself and her partner when dancing the adagio in Symphony In C.

Inside the Repertory

Teresa Reichlen on George Balanchine's SYMPHONY IN C

Principal Dancer Teresa Reichlen talks about how class technique translates to the stage in Balanchine’s iconic Symphony in C, and how she developed a new level of trust in her partner while dancing the second movement ballerina role.

A Crystal Palace: Redesigning SYMPHONY IN C

A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of new costumes for Balanchine's iconic Symphony in C. A collaboration between NYCB and Swarovski, designed by our own Director of Costumes Marc Happel, with tiaras and headpieces by Robert Sorrell and earrings by Jamie Wolf.

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Joseph Gordon on Symphony in C

Sara Mearns on Symphony in C

Teresa Reichlen on George Balanchine's SYMPHONY IN C

A Crystal Palace: Redesigning SYMPHONY IN C

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