American Ballet - Balanchine
GEORGE BALANCHINE 1904-1983
George Balanchine, regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet, came to the United States in late 1933 following an early career throughout Europe. The son of a composer, Balanchine early in life gained a knowledge of music that far exceeds that of most of his fellow choreographers. He began studying the piano at the age of five and following his graduation in 1921, from the Imperial Ballet School (the St. Petersburg academy where he had started his dance studies at the age of nine), he enrolled in the state's Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano and musical theory, including composition, harmony and counterpoint, for three years. Such extensive musical training made it possible for Balanchine as a choreographer to communicate with a composer of such stature as Igor Stravinsky; the training also gave Balanchine the ability to reduce orchestral scores on the piano, an invaluable aid in translating music into dance.
Balanchine made his own dancing debut at the age of ten as a cupid in the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company production of THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. He joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet at 17 and staged one work for them, called ENIGMAS. Most of his energies during this period, however, were concentrated on choreographic experiments outside the company.