''Jewels'' is a three-act ballet created for the New York City Ballet by co-founder and founding choreographer

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

. It premièred on Thursday, 13 April 1967 at the

New York State Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...

, with sets designed by Peter Harvey and lighting by Ronald Bates. ''Jewels'' has been called the first full-length abstract ballet. It has three related movements: ''

Emeralds Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p. ...

'', '' Rubies'', and '' Diamonds'' (usually separated by intermissions). It can also be seen as three separate ballets, linked by their jewel-colored costumes. Balanchine commented: "The ballet had nothing to do with jewels. The dancers are just dressed like jewels." Each of the three acts features the music of a different composer: ''Emeralds'' is set to the music of

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...

, ''Rubies'' to the music of

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

and ''Diamonds'' to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Costumes

The costumes were created by Balanchine's long-time collaborator

Barbara Karinska Varvara Jmoudsky, better known as Barbara Karinska or simply Karinska (October 3, 1886 – October 18, 1983), was the Oscar-winning costumier of cinema, ballet, musical and dramatic theatre, lyric opera and ice spectacles. Over her 50 year caree ...

, who created a distinct look for each different act: romantic, calf-length tulle skirts for ''Emeralds'', fabric that flared at the hips of both men and women in ''Rubies'', and the flat, classical tutu of the Imperial Russian Ballet for ''Diamonds''. The costumes were such finely crafted pieces of art in their own right that some of them have been exhibited in museums and in theatre lobbies. Even Claude Arpels of Van Cleef & Arpels, who suggested the idea of a ballet based on gems to the choreographer, was impressed with her attention to finding the finest trim that would accurately represent the true glitter of genuine gemstones. Additionally, Karinska's painstaking work is credited with making the costumes last despite the sweat and strain of dancing in them. Her designs, needlework and choice in fabrics made them both durable and danceable, illustrating that the bodies inside the costumes were deserving of her utmost respect. When questioned about her attention to her almost extravagant detail she replied, "I sew for girls and boys who make my costumes dance; their bodies deserve my clothes."

Music

Emeralds

* extracts from

's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' (1898) and ''

Shylock Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the ...

'' (1889). ** average length 31 mins.

Rubies

* Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by

. ** average length 19 mins.

Diamonds

* Movements 2, 3, 4 and 5 from Symphony No. 3 in D major (1875) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ** average length 31 mins.

Casts

Original

At the premiere in Spring 1967, Mimi Paul danced the parts of Sicilienne variation and the Nocturne ("walking")

pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux (French language, French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be fo ...

in ''Emeralds''. Paul later went on to coach other dancers in the part, including Sara Mearns. :: ''Emeralds'' * Violette Verdy * Mimi Paul * Sara Leland *

Suki Schorer Suki Schorer is an American ballet dancer, ballet mistress, teacher, and writer. She danced with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet from 1959 to 1972. Suki Schorer teaches at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New Yor ...

* 10 additional women * Conrad Ludlow *

Francisco Moncion Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his long career, spanning some forty years, he created roles in major works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and others. ...

* John Prinz :: ''Rubies'' * Patricia McBride * Patricia Neary * Edward Villella * 8 additional women * 4 additional men :: ''Diamonds'' * Suzanne Farrell * Jacques d'Amboise * 4 demi-soloist couples * 12 additional women * 12 additional men

Stagings (other than NYCB)

* 1974 Paris Opera BalletGarnier * 1977

Dutch National Ballet The Dutch National Ballet (Dutch: Het Nationale Ballet) is the official and largest ballet company in the Netherlands. History The Dutch National Ballet was formed in 1961 when the Amsterdam Ballet and the Nederlands Ballet merged. The company h ...

* 1980 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens * 1980 Zurich BalletBallett des Opernhauses Zurich * 1981 Chicago City Balletclosed * 1982

Ballett der Deutschen Staatsoper Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

East Berlin * 1982

Los Angeles Ballet Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) is a classical ballet company based in Los Angeles. While rehearsals take place at the Los Angeles Ballet Center, the company tours venues across LA County, such as the Dolby Theatre and Royce Hall, during its performanc ...

* 1985 Ballet de l'Opera du RhinStrasbourg, France * 1985 Royal Danish Ballet * 1986

Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. I ...

* 1986 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1986 Ballet de l'Opera du Rhin * 1986 Dutch National Ballet * 1987 Ballet of Flanders Koninklijk Ballet Van Vlaanderen/Royal Flemish Ballet * 1987 The Chautauqua InstitutionNew York * 1987 San Francisco Ballet * 1987

Texas Ballet The Texas Ballet Theater was founded by Margo Dean in 1961 as the Fort Worth Ballet Association, in Fort Worth, Texas. At the invitation of Dean, Fernando Schaffenburg was invited to direct the company the following year. It became a fully professio ...

formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet * 1988 Ballet du NordFrance * 1988 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 1988

PACT Ballet A pact, from Latin ''pactum'' ("something agreed upon"), is a formal agreement between two or more parties. In international relations, pacts are usually between two or more sovereign states. In domestic politics, pacts are usually between two or ...

Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa * 1988 Boston Ballet * 1988 Royal Danish Ballet * 1989 Louisville Ballet * 1989 Royal Ballet, London * 1990 Ballet de San Juan * 1990 Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo * 1990 Ballet du Nord * 1990 Ballett der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin * 1990 PACT Ballet * 1990 Paris Opera Ballet * 1991 Ballet Chicago * 1991 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 1991 San Francisco Ballet * 1991 Texas Ballet * 1992 Ballett der Deutschen OperBerlin * 1992 Miami City Ballet * 1992 Miami City Ballet * 1992 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1993 Finnish National Ballet * 1993

Sacramento Ballet The Sacramento Ballet was founded in 1954 by Barbara Crockett and Deane Crockett. During Ms. Crockett’s tenure as Company Director, The Sacramento Ballet gained national recognition as one of the finest regional ballet companies. Through communi ...

* 1993 Ballet du Nord * 1994

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Corpo do Ballo del Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy * 1994 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1994 Louisville Ballet * 1994 Miami City Ballet * 1994 Miami City Ballet * 1994 PACT Ballet * 1994 Texas Ballet * 1995 American Repertory Ballet * 1995 Kansas City Ballet * 1995 Miami City Ballet * 1995 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 1996 Asami Maki BalletJapan * 1996

Cincinnati Ballet The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States and had its first performance in 1964. The current artistic director is Victoria Morgan. Founding Organizing founders Nancy Bauer, Virgini ...

* 1996 Colorado Ballet * 1996

North Carolina Dance Theatre Charlotte Ballet is the oldest professional ballet company in North Carolina. It was founded as North Carolina Dance Theatre in Winston-Salem by Robert Lindgren, who was then Dean of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, i ...

* 1996 Miami City Ballet * 1996 Paris Opera Ballet * 1996 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1996 Texas Ballet * 1997

Ballet Arizona Ballet Arizona is a professional ballet company in Phoenix, Arizona directed by Ib Andersen. The company was created in 1986 by a merger of three smaller Arizonan dance companies that were struggling to survive. Today, the company of thirty-one dan ...

* 1997

Milwaukee Ballet The Milwaukee Ballet is a professional ballet company founded by Roberta Boorse of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is located in Milwaukee, and is currently run by Michael Pink, the artistic director. History The Milwaukee Ballet was fou ...

* 1997 Dutch National Ballet * 1997 Miami City Ballet * 1997 Miami City Ballet * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 San Francisco Ballet * 1997 Texas Ballet * 1998 Alberta Ballet * 1998

Hartford Ballet Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

* 1998 San Diego Ballet * 1998 Singapore Dance Theatre * 1998 PACT Ballet * 1998 Texas Ballet * 1999

Ballet Austin Ballet Austin is the 12th largest classical ballet company in the US, and also operates the largest combined training facility associated with a professional ballet company in the United States. Each year the Ballet Austin company performs ball ...

* 1999 Carolina Ballet * 1999

Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...

* 1999 Cincinnati Ballet * 1999 Paris Opera Ballet * 1999 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1999 Royal Danish Ballet * 1999 Sacramento Ballet * 2000 National Ballet of Canada * 2000 Royal Winnipeg Ballet * 2000 Dutch National Ballet * 2000 Paris Opera Ballet * 2000 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 2001

Ballet National de Marseille The Ballet National de Marseille is a dance company based in Marseille, France. The company combines modern dance and classical ballet. Overview The Ballet National de Marseille was founded by the dancer and choreographer Roland Petit in 1972. T ...

* 2001

Ballet NY Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

* 2002

Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

* 2002 Kirov Ballet John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsMetropolitan Opera Association * 2002 Paris Opera Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 Texas Ballet * 2003

BalletMet BalletMet is an American ballet company and academy based in Columbus, Ohio. Located in downtown Columbus, BalletMet facilities include a black box theatre performance space, seven dance studios, administrative offices and costume and scene shops ...

Columbus, Ohio * 2003

Oregon Ballet Theatre Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is a ballet company in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company performs an annual five-program season at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and conducts regional and national tours. It was featured in th ...

* 2003 Washington Ballet * 2003 Cincinnati Ballet * 2003 Milwaukee Ballet * 2003 National Ballet of Canada * 2003 Paris Opera Ballet * 2003 Zurich Ballet * 2004

Cape Town City Ballet The Cape Town City Ballet Company, formerly known as the CAPAB Ballet Company, is a dance company based in Cape Town, South Africa. History The Cape Town City Ballet originated from the UCT Ballet Company, which was established by Dulcie Howe ...

* 2004 Boston Ballet * 2004 Colorado Ballet * 2004 Finnish National Ballet * 2004 La Scala * 2004 Louisville Ballet * 2004 Paris Opera Ballet * 2004 Sacramento Ballet * 2005

Scottish National Ballet Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the five leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet. Founded in 1969, ...

* 2005

Suzanne Farrell Ballet The Suzanne Farrell Ballet is a ballet company housed at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., and founded in 2000 by Suzanne Farrell, one of George Balanchine's most celebrated ballerinas, and a former New York City Ballet principal dancer. Unti ...

* 2005 Teatro Colón * 2005 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 2006

Chamberlain Ballet Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

* 2006 Hamburg Ballet * 2006 Alberta Ballet * 2006 City Ballet of San Diego * 2006 Dutch National Ballet * 2006 Kirov Ballet * 2006 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 2006 San Francisco Ballet * 2007 Festival Ballet * 2007 Ballet Arizona ''Rubies'' * 2007 Los Angeles Ballet * 2007 Paris Opera Ballet * 2007 Royal Ballet, London * 2008 Charleston Ballet Theatre * 2008 Hong Kong Ballet * 2008

Nevada Ballet Theatre Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) is a regional ballet company located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the Resident Ballet Company of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and is one of the largest performing arts organizations in the sta ...

* 2008 Los Angeles Ballet * 2008 National Ballet of Canada * 2008 Paris Opera Ballet * 2008 Royal Ballet, London * 2008 Suzanne Farrell Ballet ''Diamonds'' * 2009 Scottish National Ballet * 2011

Ballet Dortmund Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

* 2011

Semperoper Ballett The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the T ...

* 2011 La Scala * 2011 Royal Ballet, London * 2012 Ballet West, Utah * 2012 Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow * 2012 The University of Arizona * 2013 Royal Ballet, London * 201
Oklahoma City Ballet
* 2014 La Scala * 201
Boston Ballet
* 201
Pacific Northwest Ballet
* 2015 Suzanne Farrell Ballet ''Emeralds'' * 201
Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam
* 2016 The

Sarasota Ballet The Sarasota Ballet is an American ballet company based in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded in 1987 by former ballet dancer Jean Weidner Goldstein and is now acclaimed for its performances of Sir Frederick Ashton's ballets under its director Iai ...

* 2017 Royal Ballet, London * 2017 Lincoln Center Festival (Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet) * 2018 Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) * 2018 Ballet West, Utah * 2018 Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia * 2019–2020 Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna * 2022 Miami City Ballet * 2022 Royal Danish Ballet

Excerpts

Venues

Companies

Quotes

"It is open to doubt whether even George Balanchine has ever created a work in which the inspiration was so sustained, the invention so imaginative or the concept so magnificent as in the three-act ballet that had its world première at the New York State Theater last night." Clive Barnes

Awards

In 2008, the Royal Ballet won two

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

s for their company premiere of ''Jewels'' at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, featuring new scenic designs by Jean-Marc Puissant, original costume designs by Barbara Karinska, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This was the first performance of the full-length ballet by the company, picking up the awards for Best New Dance Production and Outstanding Achievement in Dance. The Olivier Awards are the highest honour in professional British theatre and are equivalent to Broadway's Tony Awards.

Recordings

DVD

* ''Balanchine – Jewels'' by the Paris Opera Ballet (2000). With Aurelie Dupont, Alessio Carbone,

Marie-Agnès Gillot Marie-Agnès Gillot (born in 1975) is a French ballet dancer and choreographer. She danced with the Paris Opera Ballet as an ''étoiles''. She is also POB's first in-house female dancer to choreograph for the company. Early life Gillot was born i ...

Agnes Letestu Agnes or Agness may refer to: People *Agnes (name), the given name, and a list of people named Agnes or Agness * Wilfrid Marcel Agnès (1920–2008), Canadian diplomat Places *Agnes, Georgia, United States, a ghost town * Agnes, Missouri, United ...

, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Clairemarie Osta and Kader Belarbi. * ''Choreography by Balanchine'' by the New York City Ballet (1979). With Suzanne Farrell and Merrill Ashley. * ''Jewels'' by the

(2011). With

Irina Golub Irina Ivanovna Golub is a Russian-born ballerina, formerly with the Mariinsky Ballet, once known as the Kirov Ballet. Born in what was then Leningrad, and a graduate of the Vaganova Academy, Ms. Golub joined the Mariinsky in 1998 at the age of ei ...

Uliana Lopatkina Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina (russian: Ульяна Вячеславовна Лопаткина; born 23 October 1973) is a Russian prima ballerina who performed with the Mariinsky Theatre from 1991–2017. She studied at the Vaganova Academ ...

, Igor Zelensky,

Andrian Fadeyev Andrian may refer to: *Andrian, South Tyrol, an Italian commune *Andrian (name) * -andrian, a botanical suffix *SS Claus Rickmers, SS ''Andrian'', a British cargo ship *''The Bacchanal of the Andrians'', an oil painting by Titian See also

*Adr ...

Zhanna Ayupova Zhanna is a given name, Russian form of Jeanne. Notable people with the name include: *Zhanna Agalakova (born 1965), Russian journalist *Zhanna Bichevskaya (born 1944), prominent Russian bard and folk musician *Zhanna Friske (1974–2015), Russian ...

Other

In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts, New York City Ballet released recordings of ''Rubies'' and ''Diamond''. ''Rubies'' featured

Megan Fairchild Megan Fairchild (born October 23, 1984) is an American ballet dancer. She is currently a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began her dance training at the age of four, stu ...

, Gonzalo Garcia and Mira Nadon, and was the latter's debut. ''Diamond'' starred Sara Mearns and

Russell Janzen This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

. Both ''Rubies'' and ''Diamond'' are recorded in 2019. The Royal Danish Ballet released a video of ''Emerald'', featuring

Amy Watson Amy Watson (born 1981) is an American ballet dancer. She joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 2000, becoming a principal dancer in 2007. In 2011, she was honoured with the prestigious Order of the Dannebrog. Early life Watson was born in Washington D ...

, Jonathan Chmelensky,

Susanne Grinder Susanne Grinder (born November 1981) is a Danish ballet dancer. She joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 1998, becoming a principal dancer in 2012. Early life Born in Helsingør in 1981, her father is a bank manager, her mother a graduate in Danish ...

and

Marcin Kupinski Marcin Kupinski (born 1983) is a Polish ballet dancer. In 2002, he joined the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen becoming a principal dancer in 2011 after performing in August Bournonville's ''A Folk Tale''. Biography Kupinski was born and raised ...

References

Bibliography

* ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'', NYCB, Wednesday, January 2, 2008 * ''

'', NYCB, Saturday, May 31, 2008 * ''

'', NYCB, Saturday, June 7, 2008 * ''Repertory Week'', NYCB, Winter season, 2008 repertory, week 1
NY Times, Monday, April 17, 1967, by Clive Barnes (critic), Clive Barnes

* [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A10FB385F16738DDDA90B94DC405B878AF1D3 Sunday NY Times, April 30, 1967, by Richard F. Shepard]
NY Times, Saturday, July 8, 1967, by Don McDonagh

External links

Jewels
on the website of the ''

Balanchine Trust George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewels (Ballet) 1967 ballet premieres Ballets by George Balanchine Ballets to the music of Gabriel Fauré Ballets to the music of Igor Stravinsky Ballets to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Ballets designed by Barbara Karinska Ballets designed by Peter Harvey Ballets designed by Ronald Bates New York City Ballet repertory