Balanchine Then and Now

by Richard Alston, Dominique Delouche, Toni d'Amelio

George Balanchine (1904-1983) is one of the past century's greatest choreographers, and (along with Lincoln Kirstein) the man most responsible for creating ballet culture in America, in his roles as founder of the School of American Ballet and cofounder and balletmaster of the New York City Ballet. In a career spanning more than six decades and three continents, and with more than 400 dance works to his name, Balanchine towers over the field with his repertory of masterpieces such as Apollo , Serenade , The Four Temperaments , Agon , Jewels , his work in film, musical and opera, and also with the legacy of his teaching. In Balanchine Then and Now , leading dancers, choreographers, company directors, critics and academics assess Balanchine's multi-faceted legacy and his relevance to dance today, through essays, reminiscences and interviews. These contributors include Richard Alston, Toni D'Amelio, Dominique Delouche, Nanette Glushak, Stephanie Jordan, Anna Kisselgoff, Giannandrea Poesio, Francia Russell, Tim Scholl, Suki Schorer, Violette Verdy and Robert Wilson, each of whom adds a new angle to how we see Balanchine today. Balanchine Then and Now is illustrated with numerous previously unpublished and very beautifully reproduced images of the master at work, and of his dances. It ranks as one of the essential books on ballet.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Professor of Roman History, Royal Holloway. Richard has worked extensively on social and economic history of the Roman imperial period. His work is at the interface of ancient history and modern social theory. His interest in reception is in the history of urbanism and in political philosophy.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of essays and interviews with dance critics and dancers about Balanchine and his legacy. In some ways I didn't feel like I knew enough to really appreciate some of the essays, but I found the interviews more enjoyable.

[nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous... reads like a love letter to balanchine and 20th century ballet. i especially loved the preface, first three essays and suki schorer's interview.