Program
All Balanchine II
SEPT 17, 20 mat, 21, 27 mat & eve, OCT 3
Performance Dates
Wit, Innovation, & Whimsy
Two ballets Balanchine created in tribute to the culture of his adopted country, the United States, bookend this program. Square Dance, inspired by the popular entertainments of the title, loosely employs the traditional box pattern and call-and-response structures while also serving as a dazzling display of classical steps. Known for wearing country-style shirts and string ties, Balanchine turned to the mythic Wild West for the joyous Western Symphony, which is danced to traditional folk melodies associated with the great frontier and displays his ability to affectionately combine popular music with vibrant classical choreography. Episodes, by contrast, is a Black & White leotard ballet of austere elegance and invention danced to the often-atonal music of Anton von Webern.
Ballets on this Program
-
Square Dance
Known for his love of all things American, Balanchine expertly reconceives square dancing to fit his neoclassical minimalism, retaining its fascinating patterns and effervescent spirit.
-
Episodes
A four part avant-garde work, Episodes grew out of Balanchine’s enthusiasm for Anton von Webern’s orchestral music, which Balanchine once wrote “fills the air like molecules.”
-
Western Symphony
Western Symphony is a rodeo of frisky fillies and lonesome cowpokes with a rousing, non-stop finale that brings the curtain down.
