The Royal Ballet celebrates the rich history of American ballet in classic works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, two choreographic giants of the 20th century. Balanchine and Robbins open June 4 and air live June 11 at 7:30 p.m. for £16.
The program includes two classic works by Balanchine; Apollo and Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux. Apollo was created for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1928 and is considered a masterpiece of neoclassicism in its striking portrayal of the young god of music and his three muses. Set to music by Igor Stravinsky, the ballet was last performed by The Company in 2014.
In 1960, Balanchine created Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux for the New York City Ballet. The ballet is a showcase of technical challenge and bravery and is set to a long-lost movement from Tchaikovsky’s original score for Swan Lake.
Jerome Robbins played a crucial role in the development of American ballet as a contemporary of Balanchine and as an influential Broadway figure. His 1969 ballet Dances at a Gathering is an ode to pure dance, set to music by Chopin. Although plotless, the ballet’s intimacy creates a strong sense of community that promises to resonate powerfully with audiences and dancers after its 2020 revival just before lockdown.
This program includes a host of debuts from Royal Ballet directors Fumi Kaneko, Yasmine Naghdi, Matthew Ball, Cesar Corrales and Vadim Muntagirov and first soloists Claire Calvert, Melissa Hamilton, Mayara Magri, Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Reece Clarke.
The event will be streamed live via the Royal Opera House website on Friday 11th June at 7.30pm, priced at £16.00 per household and will be available on demand until 10th July.
More details here –Balanchine and Robbins – Balanchine and Robbins – Royal Opera House Stream (roh.org.uk)
