The George Balanchine Trust

[Ann]

I was interested to read in today's Links that the Perm Opera Ballet are to perform (or maybe already have performed) Balanchine's 'Serenade' for the Golden Mask Awards in Moscow.

Does this mean that the Balanchine Trust is relaxing its rules somewhat? Balanchine's works are now more or less regularly performed by companies worldwide, whereas until a few years ago one had the impression that they were rather choosy about who they let perform his works.

I'm not suggesting that the Perm company are in any way unworthy of dancing Balanchine (I've never seen them perform) but I was surprised. I was also pleased; it's gratifying to watch the Russians catching up with Mr B's works and realising what a extraordinary genius their countryman was.

[Leigh Witchel]

As far as I know, Ann, Perm is a reasonably major company - it was where Vaganova taught during WWII (Russophiles, is this correct?)

An awful lot of companies do Serenade; it's one of the first large works the trust seems to permit a company to do. I don't think it's a surprise for Perm to perform it.

[Dale]

Perm often dances Balanchine ballets in Russia. In addition to Serenade, the company also has recently performed Donizetti Variations. The Kirov-Mariinsky, Bolshoi and Perm ballets have been performing Mr. B's pretty regularly for 10 years at least.

The Balanchine Trust has been generous and open-minded about having Balanchine's ballets performed. Maybe you are thinking about the time in the early 90s that the Royal ballet was denied the right to perform Apollo. It was reported that one of the leads was not in the right shape to perform that role. I have no problem with that.

[Dale]

A little more research shows that Perm opened the White Nights Fest. last year with a Balanchine triple bill of "Donizetti Variations," "Concerto Barocco" and "La Sonnambula." Concerto Barocco, set by Adam Luders, was listed as "a gift from the George Balanchine Foundation." That's a pretty good endorsement.

[Ann]

My apologies then. As you say, Dale, I was probably misled by the Trust’s refusal - for perfectly understandable reasons - to let the Royal Ballet dance Apollo in the early 90s, but I also have a memory that at about the same time the Kirov ran into problems with the Trust over ‘Scotch Symphony’. (I may be wrong in this too, of course.) However, it does seem to me that on the whole many more companies worldwide are now dancing Balanchine, which can only be a good thing for ballet lovers everywhere.

And to get back to the Perm company, I am envious that it has that most mysterious of Balanchine’s works - ‘La Sonambula’- in its repertoire; I only wish one of our UK companies would acquire this fascinating ballet.

[Dale]

Suzanne Farrell set Scotch Symphony on the Kirov in 1989. It went out of the rep. over a period of years and then it was brought back in the late 90s. The Trust requires a sort of check-up on ballets after a period of years, especially if it hasn't been performed in a while. But the Kirov did revive its production so evidently the problem was solved. The recent influx of Balanchine ballets could be because of his centennial celebrations.

[doug]

I think the recent influx of Balanchine ballets at the Kirov (since 1998) is because Gergiev and Makhar Vaziev have wanted them. They did SCOTCH and THEME AND VARIATIONS back in 1989 under Vinogradov and that really took some doing. In 1998 they got APOLLO, SERENADE and TCHAI PAS (or at least got maintenance on TCHAI PAS). SYMPHONY IN C came somewhere in those years, too, I believe. Then JEWELS and the recent rep of additional Balanchine ballets.

My understanding is that the Trust has, for years, been very generous with the ballets and very reasonable financially, too.

I thought it was AGON that was pulled from the RB rep - ?

[rg]

re: RB and balanchine, i think it was APOLLO that was withdrawn over a disagreement regarding casting.

[lampwick]

I think "Serenade" was performed by students at Barnard last year. Do college programs need to go through the Trust as well?

[vrsfanatic]

Many college and high school programs are dancing Balanchine ballets in the US. I am not sure of any schools dancing the Balanchine Rep outside of the US, but maybe? For the most part it is the standard Rep...Barocco, Serenade, Divertimento 15, etc.

[Tessa2]

My understanding is that the trust is very generous with certain ballets (Serenade being a prime example) and quite stingy with others, such as the full length Jewels and other rarely seen works. I think companies (and school-affiliated companies) prove their ability to the Trust over time, and as companies succeed with certain works they are given permission to perform others. At least that is the impression I have been given.

[Helene]

Also, there are specific demands that the Trust makes for certain ballets that make them unaffordable for many companies. Sadly Liebeslieder Walzer has not been performed at Pacific Northwest Ballet, despite being a self-admitted favorite of Russell's and Stowell's. According to R&S in post-performance Q&A's, the costumes and sets must be reproduced, and this is a very expensive undertaking. The Company has at least two potential first-rate casts among its roster.

[carbro]

Someone from the Trust (I think it was Ms. Horgan herself), at the time of the 1993 Festival, said that a company may request Apollo, saying it has a great boy, but if it doesn't have three good Muses, the Trust will suggest an alternative, such as Valse Fantaisie. So a company needs the budget and the appropriate personnel.