Background
Balanchine, George was born on January 9, 1904 in Petrograd, Russia. Son of Meliton and Marie Balinchinvadze.
Balanchine, George was born on January 9, 1904 in Petrograd, Russia. Son of Meliton and Marie Balinchinvadze.
Graduate Imperial School of Ballet, 1921, student Conservatory of Music, Petrograd. Doctor of Humane Letters, Brandeis U., 1965.
. Came to the United States, 1933. Danced in state theatres of opera and ballet, Russia, 1915-1924. Toured Europe, then joined Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev.
Became director Royal Theater of Copenhagen, 1929. Helped organize Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, 1932. With Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, 1934-1937.
Helped organize School of America Ballet, 1934, now director. Founded (with Lincoln Kirstein) Ballet Society, 1946, now New York City Ballet (toured United States and abroad, from 1950), artistic director, ballet master New York City Ballet. Choreographer for motion pictures, plays, On Your Toes, Goldwyn Follies, Boys from Syracuse, Cabin in the Sky, I Married an Angel, ballets: The Nightingale, 1925.
Barabau, 1925; Pastorale, 1927. Triumph of Neptune, 1927. Jack-in-the-Box, 1927.
Apollon, 1928; Le Bal, 1929. Prodigal Son, 1929; Cotillion, 1932. Mozartiana, Errante, Seven Deadly Sins, 1933.
The Nutcracker, 1954. Liebeslieder Waltzer, Ivesiana, Agon, Bugaku. Don Quixote, 1965, Sonatine, 1974. numerous others.
Collaborated on many ballets with Igor Stravinsky.
In 1946 Balanchine and Kirstein founded the Ballet Society, which became the New York City Ballet in 1948; Balanchine was appointed its artistic director His choreography has dominated the repertoire of this group and has included: Orpheus (1948) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Prodigal Son (1950) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); La Valse (1951) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Scotch Symphony and Metamorphoses (1952) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); The Nutcracker and Swan Lake (1954) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Square Dance and Agon (1957) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Gounod Symphony and The Seven Deadly Sins (1958) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Modern Jazz and Electronics (1961) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); Don Quixote (1965) ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE `description` = VALUES(`description`); eight pieces for the company's Stravinsky festival in 1972; and Vienna Waltzes (1977). Balanchine died April 30, 1983, in New York City.
Member Greek Orthdox Church.
Married Tanaguil LeClerq, December 31, 1952 (divorced 1969).
