Dance 396: Methods of teaching ballet: Balanchine

Balanchine and Me: Be relevant, nor reverent by Peter Martins Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, George Balanchine was the 20th century's towering figure of classical ballet. Coming to America in 1933, Balanchine founded the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet, where he hired the Danish-born Peter Martins as a dancer and, later, as a choreographer. Balanchine and Me is dedicated to Martins's profound artistic relationship with George Balanchine, who taught him a new, freer style of dance, and ultimately entrusted Martins with the future of the New York City Ballet, which Martins went on to lead for 35 years. This proved to be an inspired choice as Martins led the company to new heights, strengthened it financially, and initiated many innovative new programs. Peter Martins' insights and anecdotes of working closely with Balanchine are historically important and often highly dramatic. Balanchine and Me is an indispensable resource to anyone interested in dance and the cultural universe of New York City.

Balanchine and the Lost Muse: Revolution and the making of a choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall Here is the first dual biography of the early lives of two key figures in Russian ballet: famed choreographer George Balanchine and his close childhood friend and extraordinary ballerina Liidia (Lidochka) Ivanova.Tracing the lives and friendship of these two dancers from years just before the 1917 Russian Revolution to Balanchine's escape from Russia in 1924, Elizabeth Kendall's Balanchine & the Lost Muse sheds new light on a crucial flash point in the history of ballet. Drawing upon extensive archival research, Kendall weaves a fascinating tale about this decisive period in the life of the man who would become the most influential choreographer in modern ballet. Abandoned by his mother at the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet Academy in 1913 at the age of nine, Balanchine spent his formative years studying dance in Russia's tumultuous capital city. It was there, as he struggled to support himself while studying and performing, that Balanchine met Ivanova. A talented and bold dancer who grew close to the Bolshevik elite in her adolescent years, Ivanova was a source of great inspiration to Balanchine--both during their youth together, and later in his life, after her mysterious death just days before they had planned to leave Russia together in 1924. Kendall shows that although Balanchine would have a great number of muses, many of them lovers, the dark beauty of his dear friend Lidochka would inspire much of his work for years to come. Part biography and part cultural history, Balanchine & the Lost Muse presents a sweeping account of the heyday of modern ballet and the culture behind the unmoored ideals, futuristic visions, and human decadence that characterized the Russian Revolution.

Balanchine the Teacher by Barbara Walczak; Una Kai Fundamentals that shaped the first generation of New York City Ballet dancers

Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner The literature on Balanchine is vast, but it is primarily biographical. Balanchine Variations is the first book to concentrate on the ballets themselves, providing critical analysis and detailed descriptions of what the dancers actually do. nbsp; Beginning with Apollo (1928), Balanchine's first extant work, and ending with one of his last ballets, Ballo della Regina (1978), Nancy Goldner offers detailed insights into more than twenty individual ballets. Based on lectures given across the United States, under the auspices of the Balanchine Foundation, they are intended to illuminate his art. nbsp; Goldner discusses the history of each ballet, places each in the context of Balanchine's life and sensibility. She also addresses his taste in music and whether his style can be considered particularly American. nbsp; The ballets Balanchine choreographed for the New York City Ballet are danced by companies around the world, and this innovative book is sure to become an indispensable guide to dancers and spectators alike.

Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique by Suki Schorer Suki Schorer has dedicated her life to Mr. B's method of dancing. Balanchine dancers are instantly recognizable, as their technique differs rather significantly from that of other schools. With a teaching style that is her own (she is known for her unrelenting enthusiasm), Schorer translates what she learned from Mr. B for her students and readers of this book. In this technical manual aimed at advanced students and their teachers, Schorer peppers the ballet instruction with stories and anecdotes of her experiences with the great choreographer.

Balanchine - A Biography by Bernard Taper "Balanchine emerges a unique compendium of fact, quotation, and interview. . . . Future biographers will have a difficult time matching Taper's compassion, coherence, and class." -- Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Examiner

Balanchine Pointework by Suki Schorer This book explains in detail the way Balanchine dancers execute pointework. It covers pointe shoes, rising and lowering on pointe, hopping on pointe, pirouettes en dedans (inward) en dehors (outward) from fifth position and fourth position and much more.

In Balanchine's Classroom by Connie Hochman, film director Go back to the glory years of Balanchine's New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius.

Balanchine: New York City Ballet in Montreal.

Balanchine Essays by production of the George Balanchine Foundation MD 1788 .B34 P65 2012 DVD (Pointe technique and pas de bourrée) MD 1788 .B34 T73 2012 DVD (Transfer of weight) MD 1788 .B34 P37 2012 DVD (Passé and attitude) MD 1788 .B34 P57 2012 DVD (Pirouettes) MD 1788 .B34 J85 2012 vol.1-2 DVD (Jumps) MD 1788 .B34 A73 2012 DVD (Arabesque) MD 1788 .B34 B37 2012 vol.1-2 DVD (The barre) MD 1788 .B34 P67 2012 DVD (Port de bras and épaulement)

Dancing for Mr. B: Six Balanchine Ballerinas Mary Ellen Moylan, Maria Tallchief, Melissa Hayden, Allegra Kent, Merrill Ashley, and Darci Kistler keep alive Balanchine's ballets and the inspiration they learned from him. Balanchine was the single most powerful influence in their lives.

Choreograpy by Balanchine Presents performances of dances choreographed by Balanchine: Tzigane by Ravel, Andante from Divertimento no. 15 by Mozart, and the Four temperaments by Hindemith, performed by the New York City Ballet. MD 1785 .B35 C462 2004 DVD: Chaconne / music by Christoph Willibald Gluck -- Prodigal son : a ballet in three scenes / music by Serge Prokofieff -- Ballo della Regina / music by Giuseppe Verdi -- The steadfast tin soldier / music by George Bizet -- Elégie / music by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky -- Tschaikovsky pas de deux / music by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky.