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Arch Higgins
''Arch Higgins'' (born Berkeley, California) was a soloist with New York City Ballet. He began his study at eight years with Berkeley Ballet Theater with former City Ballet dancer Sally Streets. From 1982 he attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet which he entered full-time on scholarship four years later. He was the recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award and joined the NYCB corps de ballet in 1989. Higgins was promoted to soloist in 1998 and danced until 2011. He is now a guest teacher for the company and assistant children's ballet master. Rôles originated featured rôles David Allan * '' Pastoral Dances'' John Alleyne * '' The New Blondes'' Robert La Fosse * ''Duke!'' (Rockin' in Rhythm) Miriam Mahdaviani * '' Appalachia Waltz'' * '' Correlazione'' Peter Martins * '' Reliquary'' Trey McIntyre * ''Rain'' * '' Steel'' Kevin O'Day * '' Swerve Poems'' Jerome Robbins * ''West Side Story Suite'' Susan Stroman * ''Double Feature ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's first music director. City Ballet grew out of earlier troupes: the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet, 1934; the American Ballet, 1935, and Ballet Caravan, 1936, which merged into American Ballet Caravan, 1941; and directly from the Ballet Society, 1946. History In a 1946 letter, Kirstein stated, "The only justification I have is to enable Balanchine to do exactly what he wants to do in the way he wants to do it."Alastair Macaulay, "A Paragon of the Arts, as Both Man and Titan" (review of Martin Du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnival Of The Animals (ballet)
''Carnival of the Animals'' is a ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon to the ''Le Carnaval Des Animaux'' by Saint-Saëns, with narrations written by John Lithgow, costumes and sets designs by Jon Morrell and lighting designed by Natasha Katz. It premiered on May 14, 2003, at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet. The ballet is about a little boy who falls asleep at the American Museum of Natural History and dreams of people he knew as animals. Synopsis Oliver Pendleton Percy III, a little boy, falls asleep during a visit to the American Museum of Natural History. In his dream, people he knows are transformed to animals, such as his great aunt who is also a former ballerina as the swan, the librarian as a kangaroo who dreams of being a mermaid, his teacher as the lion, and his worried parents as cuckoos. The narrator appears as the school nurse who transforms into a female elephant. Production Christopher Wheeldon and John Lithgow met in 2002 wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mozartiana (ballet)
''Mozartiana'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 4, ''Mozartiana''. The current version of the ballet was made for New York City Ballet's Tchaikovsky Festival, and premiered on June 4, 1981, at the New York State Theater. It is considered Balanchine's last major work. Balanchine had previously choreographed to the same score in 1933, for his short-lived troupe Les Ballets 1933 in Paris, his first major ballet to music by Tchaikovsky. It had its American premiere the following year, and Balanchine made some changes to the choreography in 1935. This earlier version was performed by several troupes until 1956. This version's choreography and designs are completely different from the 1981 version. Previous versions In 1933, George Balanchine and librettist Boris Kochno co-founded Les Ballets 1933, after being dismissed from the Original Ballet Russe. The company was mainly funded by Edward James, and also backed by friends such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a two-act ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to A Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn), Felix Mendelssohn's music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare's play of the same name. History ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', Balanchine's first completely original full-length ballet, premiered at New York City Ballet on 17 January 1962, with Edward Villella in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden (dancer), Melissa Hayden in the role of Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Titania, and Arthur Mitchell (dancer), Arthur Mitchell in the role of Puck. They were joined by Francisco Moncion in the role of Theseus- Duke of Athens. Description In addition to the incidental music, Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet, including the Overtures to ''Athalie'', ''Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, Son and Stranger'', and ''The Fair Melusine'', the "String Symphony No. 9 in C minor" and ''Die erste Walpurgisnacht, The First Walpurgis Night' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jewels
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, and obsidian) and occasionally organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber, jet, and pearl) are also used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity and notoriety are other characteristics that lend value to gemstones. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity engraved gems and hardstone carvings, such as cups, were major luxury art forms. A gem expert is a gemologist, a gem maker is called a lapidarist or gemcutter; a diamond cutter is called a diamantaire. Characteristics and classification The traditional classification in the West, which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haieff Divertimento
George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was an ethnic Georgian American ballet choreographer who was one of the most influential 20th-century choreographers. Styled as the father of American ballet, he co-founded the New York City Ballet and remained its artistic director for more than 35 years.Joseph Horowitz (2008)''Artists in Exile: How Refugees from 20th-century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts.''HarperCollins. His choreography is characterized by plotless ballets with minimal costume and décor, performed to classical and neoclassical music. Born in St. Petersburg, Balanchine took the standards and technique from his time at the Imperial Ballet School and fused it with other schools of movement that he had adopted during his tenure on Broadway and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Four Temperaments (ballet)
''The Four Temperaments'' or Theme and Four Variations (''The Four Temperaments'') is an orchestral work and ballet by Paul Hindemith. Although it was originally conceived as a ballet for Léonide Massine, the score was ultimately completed as a commission for George Balanchine, who subsequently choreographed it as a neoclassical ballet based on the theory of the four temperaments. The music was premiered in Switzerland by the Stadtorchester Winterthur under the direction of Hermann Scherchen on March 10, 1943. However, Balanchine created the choreography a few years later. The ballet, ''The Four Temperaments'' was the first work Balanchine made for the Ballet Society, the forerunner of the New York City Ballet, and premiered on November 20, 1946, at the Central High School of Needle Trades, New York, during the Ballet Society's first performance. Though at the premiere, critics did not receive the ballet well, it was later acknowledged as a "masterpiece," and was reviv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Episodes (ballet)
''Episodes'' is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham and George Balanchine, to compositions by Anton Webern. The ballet was a co-production between the Martha Graham Dance Company and Balanchine's New York City Ballet (NYCB). Though it was conceived to be a collaboration between Graham and Balanchine, leading choreographers in modern dance and neoclassical ballet respectively, they ultimately worked separately on the ballet's two halves. The first part was choreographed by Graham, for dancers from her company and four NYCB members, depicts Mary, Queen of Scots remembering the events in her life before her execution. The second part, by Balanchine, is completely plotless, and made for members of the NYCB and Graham dancer Paul Taylor, who originated a solo. The ballet uses all seven orchestral compositions by Webern. ''Episodes'' premiered on May 14, 1959, at the City Center of Music and Dance. Starting in 1960, Balanchine's section is presented as a standalone piece, with T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Divertimento No
''Divertimento'' (; from the Italian '' divertire'' "to amuse") is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the ''divertimento'' is most often lighthearted (as a result of being played at social functions) and it is generally composed for a small ensemble. The term is used to describe a wide variety of secular (non-religious) instrumental works for soloist or chamber ensemble. It is usually a kind of music entertainment, although it could also be applied to a more serious genre. After 1780, the term generally designated works that were informal or light. Genre As a separate genre, it appears to have no specific form, although most of the ''divertimenti'' of the second half of the 18th century go either back to a dance suite approach (derived from the 'ballet' type of theatrical ''divertimento''), or take the form of other chamber music genres of their century (as a continuation of the merely instrumental theatrical ''divertimento''). There are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaconne (ballet)
''Chaconne'' is a ballet made by New York City Ballet co-founder and ballet master George Balanchine to ballet music from Gluck's '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' (Vienna, 1762; Paris, 1774). The premiere took place Wednesday, 22 January 1976 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with lighting by Ronald Bates; Robert Irving conducted. ''Chaconne'' was danced in practice clothes at its premiere; Karinska's costumes were added in the spring season. The finale to ''Orfeo ed Euridice'' is a ''chaconne'', a dance form built on a short bass phrase and often used by 17th and 18th century opera composers to achieve a festive mood at the end. The choreography was first performed at the Hamburgische Staatsoper in their 1963 production of '' Orpheus und Eurydike'' and somewhat altered in ''Chaconne'', especially that for the principal dancers. Balanchine added the ''pas de deux'' for Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins to the 1976 ballet and the opening ensemble (to the 1774 '' Dance of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (ballet)
''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'' refers to two different ballets by George Balanchine set to Richard Strauss's '' Concert Suite'' (1917),Kisselgoff, Anna"Balanchine-Robbins Work for Nureyev From Moliere,"''New York Times'' (Apr. 9, 1979). with a libretto after Molière's 17th-century comédie-ballet of the same name. The first Balanchine ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'' ballet was produced in 1932 by the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. In 1979, Balanchine (with the assistance of Jerome Robbins) created all-new choreography for ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'', which premiered on 8 April 1979, with the New York City Opera at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, in New York City. This production was notable for being the first ballet Balanchine ever choreographed for Rudolf NureyevHodgson, Moira "A Balanchine Ballet for Nureyev,"''New York Times'' (April 9, 1979). (who at the time was 41 years old). Performance history Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo Balanchine's first ''Le Bourg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allegro Brillante
''Allegro Brillante'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 3. The ballet is danced by a principal couple and a corps de ballet of eight. Balanchine said it "contains everything I knew about classical ballet." ''Allegro Brillante'' was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on March 1, 1956, at the City Center of Music and Drama, with Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes originating the two principal roles. Choreography ''Allegro Brillante'' is danced by a lead couple and a small corps de ballet of eight. The ballet is set to Piano Concerto No. 3, which Balanchine found to be "brisk and declarative but is also deeply contemplative." Balanchine said the ballet "contains everything I knew about classical ballet – in thirteen minutes." He also wrote, "I had no narrative idea for the work, only wishing to have the dancers complement the music as best I could." Maria Tallchief, who originated the lead ballerina role, no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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