Vail International Dance Festival | New York City Ballet Moves

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NEW YORK CITY BALLET MOVES

New York City Ballet MOVES is a touring company of dancers from New York City Ballet led by Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins. New York City Ballet MOVES’ three apperances in Vail offer a rare opportunity outside of New York City for a look at one of the world’s greatest ballet companies. This specially selected roster of artists from the New York City Ballet will perform six works from New York City Ballet’s unparalleled repertory: iconic ballets by the company’s legendary founding choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, masterworks by New York City Ballet’s Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins, and contemporary classics by Christopher Wheeldon.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY BALLET

After seeing ballets by George Balanchine—including the landmark work Prodigal Son in 1929—American dance connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein met Balanchine in 1933 in London. Kirstein immediately invited Balanchine to work in the United States where together they would build an American ballet tradition. Balanchine’s response, “But, first a school,” is now part of ballet history. In 1934, the School of American Ballet opened its doors on Madison Avenue with Kirstein as president, a post he held until his retirement in 1989.

Balanchine and Kirstein shaped the history of 20th century dance. Together, they embarked on the creation of a permanent American ballet company to realize their vision. There would be four such enterprises before the establishment of New York City Ballet in 1948. The first of these, American Ballet Company, toured in the eastern United States and was the resident ballet troupe for the Metropolitan Opera between 1936 and 1938. A second company, Ballet Caravan, was founded in 1936 to tour and produce new works. It was then succeeded by American Ballet Caravan, which made a much-acclaimed tour to South America in 1941, and served as the precursor company to New York City Ballet. In 1946, Kirstein and Balanchine created Ballet Society, which was renamed New York City Ballet in 1948. That same year, Balanchine invited Jerome Robbins to join the nascent ballet company as Assistant Artistic Director. The hundreds of masterpieces choreographed by Balanchine and Robbins for New York City Ballet revolutionized dance.

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