1967 three-act ballet by George Balanchine
Jewels New York City Ballet by co-founder and founding choreographerGeorge Balanchine . It premièred on Thursday, 13 April 1967 at theNew York State Theater , with sets designed by Peter Harvey and lighting byRonald Bates .[ 1]
Jewels has been called the first full-length abstract ballet.[ 2] Emeralds Rubies Diamonds [ 3] Emeralds is set to the music ofGabriel Fauré ,Rubies to the music ofIgor Stravinsky andDiamonds to music byPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky .[ 4]
The costumes were created by Balanchine's long-time collaboratorBarbara Karinska , who created a distinct look for each different act: romantic, calf-length tulle skirts forEmeralds , fabric that flared at the hips of both men and women inRubies , and the flat, classicaltutu of the Imperial Russian Ballet forDiamonds . The costumes were such finely crafted pieces of art in their own right that some of them have been exhibited in museums and in theatre lobbies. Even Claude Arpels ofVan Cleef & Arpels , who suggested the idea of a ballet based on gems to the choreographer, was impressed with her attention to finding the finest trim that would accurately represent the true glitter of genuine gemstones. Additionally, Karinska's painstaking work is credited with making the costumes last despite the sweat and strain of dancing in them. Her designs, needlework and choice in fabrics made them both durable and danceable, illustrating that the bodies inside the costumes were deserving of her utmost respect. When questioned about her attention to her almost extravagant detail she replied, "I sew for girls and boys who make my costumes dance; their bodies deserve my clothes."
Rupert Pennefather andAlina Cojocaru in the Diamonds suite from the opening night of the revival of George Balanchine's Jewels performed byThe Royal Ballet , Friday, November 23, 2007At the premiere in Spring 1967, Mimi Paul danced the parts of Sicilienne variation and the Nocturne ("walking")pas de deux inEmeralds . Paul later went on to coach other dancers in the part, includingSara Mearns .[ 5]
[ edit ] 1974Paris Opera Ballet [ companies 1] 1977Dutch National Ballet 1980Les Grands Ballets Canadiens 1980Zurich Ballet [ companies 2] 1981Chicago City Ballet [ companies 3] 1982Ballett der Deutschen Staatsoper [ companies 4] 1982Los Angeles Ballet 1985Ballet de l'Opera du Rhin [ companies 5] 1985Royal Danish Ballet 1986Boston Ballet 1986Pennsylvania Ballet 1986 Ballet de l'Opera du Rhin 1986 Dutch National Ballet 1987Ballet of Flanders [ companies 6] 1987The Chautauqua Institution [ companies 7] 1987San Francisco Ballet 1987Texas Ballet [ companies 8] 1988Ballet du Nord [ companies 9] 1988Pacific Northwest Ballet 1988PACT Ballet [ companies 10] 1988 Boston Ballet 1988 Royal Danish Ballet 1989Louisville Ballet 1989Royal Ballet, London 1990Ballet de San Juan 1990Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo 1990 Ballet du Nord 1990 Ballett der Deutschen Staatsoper[ companies 11] 1990 PACT Ballet 1990 Paris Opera Ballet 1991Ballet Chicago 1991 Pacific Northwest Ballet 1991 San Francisco Ballet 1991 Texas Ballet 1992Ballett der Deutschen Oper [ companies 11] 1992Miami City Ballet 1992 Miami City Ballet 1992 Pennsylvania Ballet 1993Finnish National Ballet 1993Sacramento Ballet 1993 Ballet du Nord 1994La Scala [ companies 12] 1994Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 1994 Louisville Ballet 1994 Miami City Ballet 1994 Miami City Ballet 1994 PACT Ballet 1994 Texas Ballet 1995American Repertory Ballet 1995Kansas City Ballet 1995 Miami City Ballet 1995 Pacific Northwest Ballet 1996Asami Maki Ballet [ companies 13] 1996Cincinnati Ballet 1996Colorado Ballet 1996North Carolina Dance Theatre 1996 Miami City Ballet 1996 Paris Opera Ballet 1996 Pennsylvania Ballet 1996 Texas Ballet 1997Ballet Arizona 1997Milwaukee Ballet 1997 Dutch National Ballet 1997 Miami City Ballet 1997 Miami City Ballet 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 1997 San Francisco Ballet 1997 Texas Ballet 1998Alberta Ballet 1998Hartford Ballet 1998San Diego Ballet 1998Singapore Dance Theatre 1998 PACT Ballet 1998 Texas Ballet 1999Ballet Austin 1999Carolina Ballet 1999Mariinsky Ballet 1999 Cincinnati Ballet 1999 Paris Opera Ballet 1999 Pennsylvania Ballet 1999 Royal Danish Ballet 1999 Sacramento Ballet 2000National Ballet of Canada 2000Royal Winnipeg Ballet 2000 Dutch National Ballet 2000 Paris Opera Ballet 2000 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 2001Ballet National de Marseille 2001Ballet NY 2002Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse 2002 Kirov Ballet[ venues 1] [ venues 2] 2002 Paris Opera Ballet 2002 San Francisco Ballet 2002 San Francisco Ballet 2002 San Francisco Ballet 2002 San Francisco Ballet 2002 Texas Ballet 2003BalletMet [ companies 14] 2003Oregon Ballet Theatre 2003Washington Ballet 2003 Cincinnati Ballet 2003 Milwaukee Ballet 2003 National Ballet of Canada 2003 Paris Opera Ballet 2003 Zurich Ballet 2004Cape Town City Ballet 2004 Boston Ballet 2004 Colorado Ballet 2004 Finnish National Ballet 2004 La Scala 2004 Louisville Ballet 2004 Paris Opera Ballet 2004 Sacramento Ballet 2005Scottish National Ballet 2005Suzanne Farrell Ballet 2005Teatro Colón 2005 Pacific Northwest Ballet 2006 The National Ballet of Canada 2006Chamberlain Ballet 2006Hamburg Ballet 2006 Alberta Ballet 2006 City Ballet of San Diego 2006 Dutch National Ballet 2006 Kirov Ballet 2006 Pacific Northwest Ballet 2006 San Francisco Ballet 2007Festival Ballet [ sections 1] 2007 Ballet Arizona[ sections 1] 2007 Los Angeles Ballet 2007 Paris Opera Ballet 2007 Royal Ballet, London 2008Charleston Ballet Theatre [ sections 1] 2008Hong Kong Ballet [ sections 1] 2008Nevada Ballet Theatre [ sections 1] 2008 Los Angeles Ballet[ sections 1] 2008 National Ballet of Canada[ sections 1] 2008 Paris Opera Ballet 2008 Royal Ballet, London 2008 Suzanne Farrell Ballet[ sections 2] 2009 Scottish National Ballet[ sections 1] 2011Ballet Dortmund [ sections 1] 2011Semperoper Ballett 2011 La Scala 2011 Royal Ballet, London 2012 Ballet West, Utah 2012 Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow 2012 The University of Arizona[ sections 1] 2013 Royal Ballet, London 2014 Oklahoma City Ballet 2014 La Scala 2014 Boston Ballet 2014 Pacific Northwest Ballet 2015 Suzanne Farrell Ballet[ sections 3] 2015 Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam 2016 TheSarasota Ballet 2017 Royal Ballet, London 2017 Lincoln Center Festival (Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet)[ 6] 2018Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) 2018 Ballet West, Utah 2018 Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia 2019–2020 Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna 2022 Miami City Ballet 2022 Royal Danish Ballet 2023 Staatsoper, München 2023 The Australian Ballet, Sydney & Melbourne 2024 The National Ballet of Canada 2024 The Norwegian National Ballet 2025 Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam ^ John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ^ Metropolitan Opera Association ^ Garnier ^ Ballett des Opernhauses Zurich ^ closed ^ East Berlin ^ Strasbourg, France ^ Koninklijk Ballet Van Vlaanderen/Royal Flemish Ballet ^ New York ^ formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet ^ France ^ Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa ^a b Berlin ^ Corpo do Ballo del Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy ^ Japan ^ Columbus, Ohio "It is open to doubt whether even George Balanchine has ever created a work in which the inspiration was so sustained, the invention so imaginative or the concept so magnificent as in the three-act ballet that had its world première at the New York State Theater last night."Clive Barnes [ 7]
At the2008 Laurence Olivier Awards , the Royal Ballet won twoLaurence Olivier Awards for their company premiere ofJewels at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, featuring new scenic designs byJean-Marc Puissant , original costume designs byBarbara Karinska , and lighting byJennifer Tipton . This was the first performance of the full-length ballet by the company, picking up the awards forBest New Dance Production [ 8] Outstanding Achievement in Dance . The Olivier Awards are the highest honour in professional British theatre and are equivalent to Broadway'sTony Awards .
In light ofthe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts ,New York City Ballet released recordings ofRubies andDiamond .Rubies featuredMegan Fairchild ,Gonzalo Garcia andMira Nadon , and was the latter's debut.Diamond starredSara Mearns andRussell Janzen . BothRubies andDiamond are recorded in 2019.[ 12] [ 13] Royal Danish Ballet released a video ofEmerald , featuringAmy Watson , Jonathan Chmelensky,Susanne Grinder andMarcin Kupinski .[ 14]
The second volume ofThe Case Files of Jeweler Richard [ 15]
^ The ballet went officially untitled at the première. ^ "Jewels" .roh.org.uk . Royal Opera House. RetrievedDecember 31, 2013 .^ Nancy Reynolds, Repertory in Review (New York: Dial Press, 1977), p. 247. ^ "Ballet Notes , BalletMet Columbus" . RetrievedMay 8, 2023 .^ "Balanchine Foundation Video Archives: MIMI PAUL coaching the Sicilienne variation and the Nocturne ("walking") Pas de Deux from 'Emeralds' . RetrievedApril 4, 2018 – via Alexander Street.^ "Jewels" .Lincoln Center . Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.^ NY Times , Friday, April 14, 1967^ "Olivier Winners 2008" .Olivier Awards . RetrievedMay 8, 2023 .^ Amazon.com: Balanchine – Jewels /Aurelie Dupont , Alessio Carbone, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Agnes Letestu, Jean-Guillaume Bart,Clairemarie Osta , Kader Belarbi, Paris Opera Ballet: Movies & TV: Mathieu Ganio,Laetitia Pujol ,Eleonora Abbagnato , Emmanuel Thibault Nolwenn Daniel^ "Choreography By Balanchine / Tzigane, Andante from Divertimento No 15, The Four Temperaments, Selections from Jewels, Stravinsky Violin Concerto" . RetrievedMay 8, 2023 – via Amazon.^ "Jewels" . RetrievedMay 8, 2023 – via Amazon.^ "Stream Rubies and Concerto DSCH From New York City Ballet" .Playbill . April 27, 2020.^ "Week 5 of New York City Ballet's six-week digital spring season" .Gramilano . May 11, 2020.^ "Juveler" .Det Kongelige Teater (in Danish). Archived fromthe original on June 6, 2020.^ Tsujimura, Nanako.The Case Files of Jeweler Richard: The Dancing Emeralds . Seven Seas Entertainment. Playbill Playbill Playbill Repertory Week , NYCB, Winter season, 2008 repertory, week 1Dance: Appraising Balanchine 'Jewels'; New Work Seen Again at State Theater NY Times, Monday, April 17, 1967, byClive Barnes Dance; The Season Grew Rosier Sunday NY Times, April 23, 1967, byClive Barnes Sunday NY Times, April 30, 1967, by Richard F. Shepard NY Times, Saturday, July 8, 1967, by Don McDonagh
