Balanchine at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

George Balanchine, a pioneer of contemporary ballet, redefined the classical tradition in new and progressive ways in the mid-20th century. Miami City Ballet, one of America’s finest companies and Balanchine interpreters, is led by Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, formerly a principal dancer for New York City Ballet under Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. The Company also presents works from the classical and contemporary repertoire. For the first time ever, Ballet BC is delighted to bring Vancouver audiences Miami City Ballet in an evening of masterworks by Balanchine, representing different periods in his career. “To watch [Miami City Ballet] dance Balanchine is to see aspects of his choreography more clearly than with any other company today,” says Alastair Macaulay in The New York Times.

Serenade
World Premiere: New York City Ballet 1935

Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Serenade for Strings in C

George Balanchine’s masterpiece Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance, planting the seeds for his reshaping of classical ballet into an American art form. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C, Balanchine called the piece his “favorite child,” written from “inner compulsion…from the heart…I am terribly in love with this Serenade.”

Symphony in Three Movements
World Premiere: New York City Ballet 1972

Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Igor Stravinsky, Symphony in Three Movements

Choreographed for New York City Ballet’s Stravinsky Festival, Symphony in Three Movements is a large ensemble work that is bold and breathtaking, a tour-de-force that is striking for its simplicity and power. Balanchine’s choreography mirrors the propulsive rhythm of Stravinsky’s score with angular, athletic choreography. “Dance,” Balanchine said, “is a continuation. You cannot predict the signs of its evolution.”

Ballo della Regina
World Premiere: New York City Ballet 1978

Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Guiseppe Verdi, Don Carlos

The virtuosic and exhilarating variations in Ballo della Regina are set to Verdi’s ballet music edited from the original production of Don Carlos. The work is a beautiful and intricate set of variations for the ballerina, her partner and the corps de ballet that offers many unique challenges with its vibrantly fast-paced and elaborate choreography.