A Brief History of American Ballet

photo: Trey McIntyre Project by US Consulate Guangzhou A Brief History of American Ballet SUSAN YUNG 2013 ABOUT DANCEMOTION USASM This essay was produced by DanceMotion USASM organizations and educational institutions to to provide information on American dance for a create unique residencies that allow for exchange global audience. DanceMotion USASM is a program and engagement. In addition to person-to-person of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs interactions, the program reaches a wider audience of the US Department of State, produced by BAM through an active social and digital media initia- (Brooklyn Academy of Music), to showcase the tive, and through educational resources housed in finest contemporary American dance abroad while embassy and consulate libraries. facilitating mutual understanding. DanceMotion USASM helps US embassies partner with leading cultural, social service, and community-based Please visit us at dancemotionusa.org DanceMotion USASM, a program of the US Department of State, produced by BAM 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR SUSAN YUNG Susan Yung, publications manager at BAM, produces programs, editorial content, and various projects, and edits and contributes to the BAM Blog. She was associate editor on BAM: The Complete Works, the extensive book celebrating the institution’s 150th year, and contributed a number of essays on iconic artists, including Pina Bausch and Bill T. Jones. As a freelance writer with a focus on dance and visual art, she blogs at Ephemeralist. com, and has contributed to numerous publications and websites including Dance Magazine, WNET’s Sunday Arts blog, Pointe, Village Voice, Ballet- Tanz (Berlin), Brooklyn Rail, and many others. Yung served for eight years on the Bessie Awards committee, and has adjudicated for several cultural grant- and award-giving organizations. A Brief History of American Ballet 3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICAN BALLET INTRODUCTION Acclaimed American Broadway choreographer Jerome Robbins became associate director of Ballet in America developed from roots in Russia NYCB in 1949 and created many beloved ballets, and Europe, primarily France and England. Early often with a jazzy, theatrical flavor, such as Fancy major companies that remain vital and import- Free, Afternoon of a Faun, and West Side Story ant include American Ballet Theatre, founded Suite. He and Danish-born (and former principal in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith; San dancer) Peter Martins were co-artistic directors Francisco Ballet, which became its own entity after Balanchine’s death; Martins became head of in 1942 under William Christensen after parting the company in 1990, and has created numerous from the city’s opera company; and New York ballets for NYCB such as Calcium Light Night. City Ballet, officially founded in 1948 by Lincoln New works in the classical idiom form the heart Kirstein and George Balanchine. Many of Amer- of NYCB’s repertory, and since 1992, NYCB’s ica’s significant ballet troupes over the last half Diamond Project and New York Choreograph- century were founded by choreographers and ic Institute have supported and commissioned dancers who moved through these organizations. dozens of contemporary ballet choreographers in the creative process. The last decade has seen the GEORGE BALANCHINE AND emergence of Christopher Wheeldon (Carousel, NEW YORK CITY BALLET After the Rain) and Alexei Ratmansky, who ran the Bolshoi prior to moving to New York (Concerto The single most influential figure in American DSCH, Namouna; and now ABT’s artist-in-resi- ballet is Balanchine (1904—1983), born in dence), Benjamin Millepied (who founded the LA Russia. As a youngster, he studied ballet and Dance Project, and who will be artistic director at piano and began choreographing in his teens. Paris Opera Ballet), and in recent seasons, Justin He joined the Mariinsky Ballet in 1921, and left Peck, a NYCB soloist. Russia in 1924 for the Ballets Russes in Paris, for which he choreographed, among other places. In Renowned organizations in the US that trace ties the 1920—30s, he made several ballets which to NYCB include: remain among his finest, including Apollo and *Dance Theater of Harlem (New York) begun by Serenade, still in the New York City Ballet’s rep- Arthur Mitchell in 1969 (it was recently revived ertory today. In 1933, impresario Lincoln Kirstein under Virginia Johnson after a hiatus) lured him to New York to begin the School of *Miami City Ballet, founded in 1985 by Edward American Ballet, where he trained dancers who Villella, and now led by Lourdes Lopez, former would eventually comprise the company. He also NYCB principal dancer; she is also director of worked as choreographer and/or ballet master at Morphoses the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera Ballet, Ballets * Suzanne Farrell Ballet (Washington, DC) since Russes, on Broadway, and on Hollywood films. 2001 led by the ballerina who was one of Bal- New York City Ballet was based at New York City anchine’s legendary muses Center until 1964, when it moved to its current * Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), now under home, the Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. Its core Peter Boal who took over after a long tenure by repertory remains Balanchine’s oeuvre, overseen Francia Russell and Kent Stowell, is renowned by the Balanchine Trust. as well for its diverse repertory and outstanding technique Balanchine created many ballets based on myths * Vail International Dance Festival, organized by or stories while forging a historic path for mod- Damian Woetzel, where interesting collaborations ernist and plotless ballets, in part because of his take shape between artists from different compa- affinity with Igor Stravinsky’s radically modern nies and genres music. They include some of his best loved, such as Agon, Rubies, Symphony in Three Movements, and Duo Concertant. In many, production ele- AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ments are minimal; the dancers often wear simple black and white leotards. Balanchine’s movement American Ballet Theatre began in 1940 as a can be appreciated for its musicality, movement source of new works and classics, but evolved to and spatial invention, beauty, and humanity. present primarily theatrical ballets that tell stories. The grand classic narrative ballets comprise a A Brief History of American Ballet 4 large part of its repertory: Swan Lake, Romeo · Houston Ballet, led by Stanton Welch, who & Juliet, Giselle, and La Bayadère. Additionally, has choreographed numerous ballets in addition choreographers with distinctive voices who have to performing repertory by many contemporary contributed repertory include Agnes de Mille, artists. Anthony Tudor, Frederick Ashton, Twyla Tharp, · Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, with an innovative busi- and Mark Morris. Artist in Residence Alexei Rat- ness model, dual home bases, and a wide-rang- mansky has created significant ballets on ABT in ing, popular repertory. recent seasons, including a new production of The · Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, in New York, Nutcracker performed at BAM since its premiere which in a decade has commissioned or acquired in 2010, a revival of Dimitri Shostakovich’s infa- an impressive selection of contemporary ballets by mous The Bright Stream, and the Shostakovich international, renowned artists. Trilogy. While some of the troupe trained at the · Alonzo King Lines Ballet, based in San Fran- company’s Onassis School, many of its principals cisco, performing primarily King’s modernized, are foreign-born stars. (This contrasts with NYCB, athletic take on ballet. where many rise through the School of American · Boston Ballet, with a classics-to-contemporary Ballet.) Russian ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov repertory; Jorma Elo is resident choreographer. led ABT for a decade; American Kevin McKenzie · Morphoses, originally built around choreography has been artistic director since 1992. by Christopher Wheeldon, but in recent years has featured an annual artist in residence · Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which in recent STRONG INDEPENDENT VOICES years has moved toward an eclectic repertory including contemporary ballet; Alejandro Cerru- Some talented ballet choreographers have moved do is resident choreographer and former Joffrey between running companies and working on com- Ballet principal Glenn Edgerton is artistic director. missions and projects on a freelance basis. Twyla · Pennsylvania Ballet, established in 1963 by Tharp founded her company in 1965; it per- Balanchine protégé Barbara Weisberger. Under formed her innovative, loose, jazz-infused work, Artistic Director Roy Kaiser, the Company has and also excelled at crafting technically challeng- expanded its Balanchine-based repertoire. ing ballets. She has had great success in many · Washington Ballet, founded by legendary ballet genres of dance, including on Broadway (Movin’ teacher Mary Day in 1944 and currently under Out) and in film, and famously worked with the artistic direction of Septime Weber. Baryshnikov in Push Comes to Shove and other dances. In the 1970-80s, ex-Merce Cunningham In New York in recent years, there are many dancer Karole Armitage choreographed “punk smaller ballet companies that focus on the work ballet,” set to rock ‘n’ roll. Her distinctive voice has of one choreographer (Pam Tanowitz Dance, been seen on Broadway and on her own compa- with a highly contemporary approach) or feature ny, Armitage Gone!, which re-formed in New York chamber-sized or scaled-down repertory (New in 2006 after she returned from a stint in Italy. York Theatre Ballet, founded by Diana Byer, which

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