Performance Dates
CHARISMA AND INVENTION ENTWINE IN AN ARRAY OF CHOREOGRAPHY FROM OUR FOUNDERS
Three Balanchine ballets are joined by one of Robbins’ masterworks. Square Dance finds Balanchine using classical steps to interpret the American folk-dance idiom of the title. Haieff Divertimento is a more rarely seen ballet, a chamber work in five parts that one critic, at its 1947 debut, hailed as “an out-and-out joy.” Donizetti Variations also exudes a buoyant spirit with its intricate steps and gentle moments of comedy. And Robbins’ enigmatic and hypnotic Afternoon of a Faun, depicting a pair of dancers at work in a studio, is considered among his greatest achievements despite its simplicity.
Ballets on this Program
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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.
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Afternoon of a Faun
Subtle, sensual, and narcissistic, Afternoon of a Faun depicts a chance encounter between two young dancers in a studio.
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Haieff Divertimento
The silken precision of this Black & White ballet, set to a Alexei Haieff composition in equal parts vivacious and quietly nostalgic, makes this rarely performed work a delightful nod to the reputed Balanchine style.
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Donizetti Variations
The cheerful 26-minute Donizetti Variations sets a series of effervescent dances to music from the opera Don Sebastien, offering choice but technically challenging roles for two bravura dancers and three supporting trios.
