Balanchine's Biggest Contributions to the World of Dance

Balanchine himself wrote,

"We must first realize that dancing is an absolutely independent art, not merely a secondary accompanying one. I believe that it is one of the great arts. . . . The important thing in ballet is the movement itself. A ballet may contain a story, but the visual spectacle . . . is the essential element. The choreographer and the dancer must remember that they reach the audience through the eye. It's the illusion created which convinces the audience, much as it is with the work of a magician."

In 1970, U.S. News and World Report attempted to summarize Balanchine's achievements as: "The greatest choreographer of our time, George Balanchine is responsible for the successful fusion of modern concepts with older ideas of classical ballet and the free-flowing U.S. dance forms stimulated him to develop new techniques in dance design and presentation, which have altered the thinking of the world of dance."

Often George was known for working with modern music and the simplest of themes, he has created ballets that are celebrated for their imagination and originality. His company, the New York City Ballet, is the leading dance group of the United States and one of the great companies of the world. An essential part of the success of Balanchine's group has been the training of his dancers, which he has supervised since the founding of his School of American Ballet in 1934. Balanchine chose to shape talent locally, and he has said that the basic structure of the American dancer was responsible for inspiring some of the striking lines of his compositions. Balanchine is not only gifted in creating entirely new productions, his choreography for classical works has been equally fresh and inventive. He has made American dance the most advanced and richest in choreographic development in the world today.

**A fun quote posted by The Washington Post claims: "Balanchine is to ballet, what Tiger Woods is to golf: so far above the competition as to be playing a different game."

To creating a completely new style and form of ballet, to work in films, opera's, broadway, theater, founding a world-reknown Ballet company and school, George Balanchine is a legend and a true master of dance!

Interview/ George Balanchine's "Swan Lake"

An extended interview with New York City Ballet dancer Marika Anderson, talking about her role in George Balanchine's Swan Lake.

World Events

Living predominately through most of the 20th Century, George grew up in a crazy, eventful time, surrounded by significant events, disasters, inventions, advances, and change. George spent half of his life in Russia and the other half in the states, predominately New York City. Growing up as a kid in Russia, George saw such events occur as the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, the Russian Revolution of 1905, which is otherwise known as “Bloody Sunday”, World War I, and the foundation of the NAACP in 1909. On a more lighter side, these were times when man also say the development of plastic, the Boy Scouts foundation formed, and the invention of Corn Flakes! 

Bloody Sunday

Balanchine moved to the States with Mr. Kristien in 1933. In the next handful of years Balanchine would witness the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party with the Hindenburg Disaster taking place in 1937 and The Night of Broken Glass in 1938. In the next year George would see the beginning of World War II. 

The Manhattan Project would begin in 1941, which was used as a secret code name for the development of the atomic bomb. This was followed by the by the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Aside from wars and worldwide conflicts, this was also a time for civil rights and equality for all. The Civil Right Movement was a fast growing topic during this period and we began to see significant/ historical events that would include Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, JFK, etc. 

Pearl Harbor

Towards the end of Balanchine’s life, the world showed no sign of slowing down. In 1977, The Northeast Blackout took place to which New York state and many others would carry on with out power or electricity of 12 hours. In relation, New York City would see yet another blackout in 1977. Also, Vietnam would take place just around the time of George’s death in 1983.

 
George had much to live through and plenty to witness in his life, both good and bad. Hard to deny that such events wouldn’t have an impact on the person you became and/or the dreams you had.