Program
Balanchine + Wheeldon
FEB 12, 14, 15 mat & eve, 16
Approx. 1 hr 45 min
Performance Dates
GLEAMING, HIGH-SPIRITED, & DELIGHTFULLY IMAGINATIVE
Two plotless Balanchine classics and a narrative ballet from Christopher Wheeldon comprise this program. Divertimento No. 15 is a bravura series of variations marked by complex and captivating classical steps, while the ebullient Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux is a thrilling dance that showcases Balanchine’s ability to evoke a world of romance with just two dancers and less than ten minutes of music. Inspired by New York’s Museum of Natural History, Wheeldon’s Carnival of the Animals tells the tale of a young boy who dreams that his family and friends have all been transformed into fauna. Award-winning actor, and author of the delightful narration for this whimsical fantasy, John Lithgow returns as a guest artist to reprise the dual role of the Narrator/Elephant.
Ballets on this Program
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Divertimento No. 15
Balanchine considered Mozart’s Divertimento No. 15 the finest ever written and to compliment the sparkling score, he created a work of prodigious ingenuity featuring a regal cast of dancers.
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Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux
A virtuosic ballet, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux is brief, beautiful, and beloved – an adrenaline rush for both dancers and audiences.
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Carnival of the Animals
With delightful narration written by John Lithgow, Carnival of the Animals imagines a schoolboy’s night in the Museum of Natural History and the outlandish museum residents who come to life as versions of his teachers, classmates, and family members.
