The early life of George Balanchine is so interesting to me in so many ways. I have learned things I never would have known about him without studying about him. George Balanchine was born January 2, 1904. His father was a choreographer who influenced balanchine to start dancing. He first started off dancing at the Imperial School of Ballet, then when that school closed down, he struggled to find work, so he would get small jobs when he could, and gave small piano concerts. then the Imperial School of Ballet re-opened with a new name; Soviet State School of Ballet, and Balanchine danced there for a few more years while studying music at the Petrograd Conservatory. George Balanchine's first attempt at choreography was in 1920. It was a short peice that was danced along to Anton Rubinstein's Nuit. By this time, he had graduated and was constantly choreographing small, experimental peices that he himself would perform along with any of his coleagues who took interest. However, Balanchine's instructors would discourage him. Despite his teachers telling him it wasn't the wisest idea to be choreographing experimental peices, He went on to choreograph Le Boeuf sur le toit, and a scene for Caesar and Cleopatra for the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Petrograd. Soon after these works, Balanchine left the Soviet Union so that he could tour with a group of dancers known as the Soviet State Dancers. He was the first dancer whio actually left the Soviet Union during his career as a dancer. After he toured Germany, Paris, and London, he joined Sergey Diaghilev's Ballets in 1925 Russes. It was at this time that Diaghilev propsed to Balanchine that he change his name to Balanchine. Turns out his name was originally Georgy Balanchivadse. Balanchine assumed the job of being a replacement choreographer for one of Diaghilev's former choreographers. He was responsible for ten ballets, tow of which are Apollo and Le Fils prodigue (The Prodigal Son, 1929). That year, Diaghilev passed away, so Balanchine danced with the Royal Danish Ballet and continued on with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. In 1933, American dance enthusiast; Lincoln Kirstein was so impressed by the work of the avant-garde company Les Ballets; which Balanchine helped found, that he invited Balanchine to Come with him to America to start what would later be known as the American School of Ballet. Balanchine accepted the invitation and went to America and became known as Mr. B in the dance world. All of these events occurred during the time of World War I or during the European years and then bled into the American Years of his life where his dance/ choreographing years really took off. And the picture above is George Balanchine dancing in villela.
Sources: http://search.ebscohost.com/
Picture Source: http://www.danceheritage.org/images/villella.jpg
actually, His father was a composer as his brother
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