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Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 8-1980 Principles of Choreography as Exemplified in the orksW of George Balanchine Virginia E. Bird Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Dance Commons, and the Fine Arts Commons Recommended Citation Bird, Virginia E., "Principles of Choreography as Exemplified in the orksW of George Balanchine" (1980). Master's Theses. 1851. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1851 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu. PRINCIPLES OF CHOREOGRAPHY AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE WORKS OF GEORGE BALANCHINE by Virginia E. Bird A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Dance Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan August 1980 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PRINCIPLES OF CHOREOGRAPHY AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE WORKS OF GEORGE BALANCHINE Virginia E. Bird, M.A. Western Michigan University, 1980 This thesis presents an examination of George Balanchine's choreography. The examination is directed to three principles which are discussed in relation to his choreographic works. The thesis is composed of six chapters and a summary including an introductory chapter. The second and third chapters discuss the historical background of George Balanchine as it relates to his choreographic development. The subject of the fourth chapter is Balanchine's musicality: how it was developed and how it is exempli­ fied in his ballets. The fifth chapter is devoted to a discussion about Balanchine's neo-classical style. The last chapter examines Balanchine's ability to elucidate the talents of his individual dancers. The three choreographic principles discussed in the thesis will elucidate Balanchine's remarkable, creative abilities and the devel­ opment of a style of choreography unique to the New York City Ballet Company as seen in the ballets he has created for it. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure you of complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark it is an indication that the film inspector noticed either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, or duplicate copy. Unless we meant to delete copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed, you will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photo­ graphed the photographer has followed a definite method in “sectioning” the material. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For any illustrations that cannot be reproduced satisfactorily by xerography, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and tipped into your xerographic copy. Requests can be made to our Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases we have filmed the best available copy. University: Micrcxilms International 300 N. 2EEB ROAD. ANN ARBOR. Ml 48105 18 BEDFORD ROW. LONDON WC1R 4EJ. ENGLAND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1315373 BIRD* VIRGINIA ELIZABETH PRINCIPLES OF CHOREOGRAPHY AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE WORKS OF GEORGE BALANCHINE. WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY. N.A.. 1980 UniNteraty MicroHms International s o o n , z e e s r o a d , a n n a r b o r , m i 4 s io 6 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TO JOHN ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS PAGES I INTRODUCTION........................................... 1 Significance and Background of Study.................. 1 Purpose of the Study................................ 2 Need for the Study.................................. 3 Limitations of the Study............................ 3 II BALANCHINE: 1904 TO 1933 ............................ 4 III BALANCHINE: 1933 TO 1950 ............................ 13 INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTERS IV, V AND V I ................... 21 IV MUSICALITY............................................... 23 Musicality as Exemplified inChoreographic Works. 27 V NEO-CLASSICISM........................................... 31 Neo-classicism as Exemplified in Choreographic W o r k s ................................................. 36 VI EDUCTION OF ABILITY..................................... 39 SUMMARY................................................. 46 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................. 49 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION SIGNIFICANCE AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY George Balanchine, born Georgi Meiitonovitch Balanchivadze in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, started his ballet training in the Imperial Ballet School of the Maryinsky Theater. It was quite by accident that he entered the school. While he and his mother were waiting for Balanchine's sister to audition for the academy, one of the Governors proposed that Balanchine also audition.^- In August of 1914, he was admitted with seven or eight other males 2 and his career as a dancer began. Toward the end of his schooling Balanchine began to choreo­ graph ballets. The dances he made were radically different from the traditional Russian ballets. He experimented with the ballet tradition by inventing new ways of utilizing the old concepts. As ballet master for Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo, his experimentation with choreography was greatly encour­ aged. At this time Lincoln Kirstein saw some of Balanchine's ballets and invited him to come to the United States to assist him ^"Bernard Taper, Balanchine (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1960), p. 39. 2 Lincoln Kirstein, Dance A Short History of Classic Theat­ rical Dancing (New York: Dance Horizons, Inc., 1935), p. 309. 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. in creating an American ballet school and company.3 The significance of Balanchine's arrival in the United States cannot be overstated. "Under Balanchine, the New York City Ballet has developed an enormous and brilliant repertoire; its dancers 4 perform superbly and its productions are handsomely mounted." Balanchine was able not only to create an audience for ballet and direct and choreograph for an outstanding company, he was also able to develop a style unlike any other choreographer in the world. In his book about the New York City Ballet, Joseph Mazo wrote of Balanchine, "He certainly knows more than anyone in the world about American Ballet— he invented it. "3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to examine the principles which George Balanchine has used in his choreography. The study will begin with two chapters of historical background about Balanchine's life in Russia and Western Europe and then his move to the United States and the ensuing years spent developing and directing the New York City Ballet. Chapters four through six will examine the development of the principles of choreography that Balanchine uses in light of his background influences. Each of the above three 3Richard Kraus, History Of The Dance (New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, Inc., 1969), pp. 179, 180. 4 Ibid., p. 185. 3Joseph H. Mazo, Dance Is A Contact Sport (New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1974), p. 39. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. chapters will also demonstrate those principles as exemplified in his choreographic works. NEED FOR THE STUDY "American classical ballet, as we know it, got its start in 1933: Lincoln Kirstein. invited George Balanchine . to g visit America." The intent of the invitation was to assist Kirstein in establishing a school, a company and an audience for ballet in the United States."7 Balanchine accepted the offer. g George Balanchine is a private man. As a result, very little has been written about his style and methods of choreography. The present study will be devoted to an examination of the emergence of Balanchine's unique and highly successful style of choreography.

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