Western Symphony

Music

Traditional American melodies orchestrated by Hershy Kay

Choreography

George Balanchine

Performed with:

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Western Symphony is a rodeo of frisky fillies and lonesome cowpokes with a rousing, non-stop finale that brings the curtain down.

Western Symphony is a striking example of Balanchine’s fascination with American themes. Set on a rugged Old West street populated by cowboys and dance hall girls, the ballet nevertheless is very much a classical work. Balanchine used steps from the traditional ballet vocabulary, but he infused them with the formations and gestures of American folk dancing. The lively and familiar score consists of Hershy Kay’s orchestrations of classic American folk songs, including “Red River Valley,” “Good Night Ladies,” and “Oh Dem Golden Slippers.”

26 minutes

Anatomy of a Dance

Roman Mejia on WESTERN SYMPHONY

Western Symphony's playful, "quirky" final movement keeps Corps de Ballet Member Roman Mejia on his cowboy toes in a role he'd grown up wanting to dance.

Inside the Repertory

Teresa Reichlen on WESTERN SYMPHONY

Principal dancer Teresa Reichlen takes us behind the scenes of her rehearsal process for the iconic ballerina role in Western Symphony, and talks about how Balanchine's love for America comes across in this fun, charming ballet set in the Wild West.

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Roman Mejia on WESTERN SYMPHONY

Teresa Reichlen on WESTERN SYMPHONY

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