- Title: New York City Ballet stages Balanchine's 'Jewels' with Paris Opera and Bolshoi
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY BALLET DANCERS REHEARSING 'JEWELS'
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 21:12
- Keywords: Bolshoi Ballet George Balanchine New York City Ballet Paris Opera Ballet Peter Martins Aurelie Dupont Makhar Vaziev
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: US Minor Outlying Islands
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0076QDWL7D
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Three of the most famous ballet companies in the world will unite on Thursday (July 20) on the Lincoln Center stage in New York, for a joint performance of the George Balanchine ballet "Jewels".
The ballet, debuted 50 years ago by the New York City Ballet, is a three-part homage to the Russian, French and then-nascent American ballet styles, likening them to diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
The collaboration - billed a first of its kind - took three to four years to put together, securing funding and synching schedules and personnel from the NYCB, Paris Opera and Bolshoi Ballet companies, Lincoln Center officials said.
Nigel Redden, director of the Lincoln Center Festival, said it was inherent in the idea of the ballet to feature the three companies, as Balanchine trained in Russia, choreographed and danced in France, and founded New York City Ballet in 1948.
Each company will perform one of the three parts for each performance. NYCB and the Bolshoi will take turns dancing the sassy, sharp "Rubies" set to music by Igor Stravinsky, and the regal "Diamonds" paired with Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Third Symphony. Paris Opera will stick to the lyrical "Emeralds", which showcases the French ballet style to the music of Gabriel Faure.
On Tuesday (July 18), City Ballet dancers said they were keen to see how other companies interpreted the Balanchine works, but they felt it was their responsibility to set the stage.
"I love watching people move in different styles, but I also look forward to represent Balanchine's house. You know, he he created this company, and he's the founder, and and we kind of carry his legacy with us. So it's very important that we represent that well, you know, in front of all these companies coming in," said principal dancer Joaquin De Luz.
NYCB Ballet Master-in-Chief Peter Martins, who danced under Balanchine, said he hoped the joint performance would bring "an increased appreciation" of Balanchine's works.
Martins said Balanchine would be impressed with the technique and attention to detail of current dancers who he said reveled in Balanchine's choreography.
"We were in my generation, we were a little careless perhaps, and all probably encouraged by him because he didn't he didn't fuss much. But since his departure, if you will, we fuss over his stuff. We take care of it," said Martins, who became ballet master after Balanchine died in 1983, and first danced in "Jewels" as a guest artist in 1968.
Bolshoi Ballet Director Makhar Vaziev said he looked forward to Thursday's performance and hoped to stage a similar collaboration in Moscow, where his company has performed "Jewels" several times.
"I think the most important meaning, the biggest event here is Balanchine himself, because I can't imagine who else, which name either than Balanchine, could have united together these three famous, renowned companies."
For Paris Opera dance director Aurelie Dupont, the event was "about sharing, you know, dancing all together and sharing our heritage."
"We can all share something very nice and something very sweet together on stage. So I think the message is quite nice."
"Jewels" runs July 20-23 at Lincoln Center. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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