An evening with Balanchine at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Have you ever wondered why Balanchine is known as the master of masters? Treat yourself to an evening of ballet with the father of neo-classical dance, George Balanchine.

An evening with Balanchine presents three different ballets, from the romantic to the strange, performed to music by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. Balanchine’s dance is music. There is no action or message, but the music and movements melt into one. In An evening with Balanchine the dancers perform to music by Balanchine’s two favourite composers, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

Serenade is one of Balanchine’s masterpieces, and a signature ballet for the New York City Ballet. It is incredibly beautiful, with elegant lines, dancers in chiffon, and a full orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C.

The athletic Agon is also regarded as one of Balanchine’s most important works. The title is Greek for ‘strength test’ or ‘competition’, and the performance exhibits precision, dynamics and vitality to the complex tones created especially for this ballet by Stravinsky.

Theme & Variations, performed to Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, provides a magnificent ending to the evening and associations with Balanchine’s imperial Russia.

Before Balanchine and The Norwegian National Ballet take you on a musical journey en pointe, Erle Kyllingmark’s new video installation will be shown in the foyer.