| Theme and Variations | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kansas City Ballet's Tempe Ostergren and Liang Fu inTheme and Variations | |
| Choreographer | George Balanchine |
| Music | Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky |
| Premiere | November 26, 1947 (1947-11-26) City Center 55 Street Theater |
| Original ballet company | Ballet Theatre |
| Created for | |
Theme and Variations is a ballet choreographed byGeorge Balanchine to the final movement of Tchaikovsky'sOrchestral Suite No. 3. The ballet was made for Ballet Theatre (nowAmerican Ballet Theatre), and premiered on November 26, 1947, at theCity Center 55 Street Theater, with the two leads danced byAlicia Alonso andIgor Youskevitch.
The ballet was well-received and was revived by other ballet companies. In 1970, Balanchine incorporated the choreography ofTheme and Variations toSuite No. 3 (now titledTschaikovsky Suite No. 3),[a] performed by theNew York City Ballet.
Balanchine'sTheme and Variations is set to the final movement of Tchaikovsky'sOrchestral Suite No. 3.[2] It was commissioned byLucia Chase for Ballet Theatre (nowAmerican Ballet Theatre).[2] The sets and costumes of the original production were designed by Woodman Thompson.[3]
The ballet is plotless and abstract.[2] LikeBallet Imperial (now titledTschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2),[a] Balanchine madeTheme and Variations as a tribute to the ImperialRussian ballet style, and he wrote that the ballet was intended "to evoke that great period in classical dancing when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tchaikovsky's music."[4]: 175 [5]: 22 It is also regarded as his tribute toImperial Russian Theater and the balletThe Sleeping Beauty.[6]: 22
The ballet features a lead couple, created onAlicia Alonso andIgor Youskevitch, plus four soloists and a corps de ballet.[3]Mary Ellen Moylan, who had trained under Balanchine, was offered the female principal role and was asked to join Ballet Theatre, though she opted to rejoinBallet Russe de Monte Carlo.[7] While making the ballet, Youskevitch and Balanchine disagreed as the former wanted to dance like a prince fromSwan Lake orGiselle, but Balanchine wanted him to focus on the steps only.[5]: 22 Alonso previously believed that ballet cannot be abstract, and stated she "always have a feeling of being just behind the music" during rehearsals with Balanchine. She also said Balanchine kept giving her and Youskevitch more "complex steps," hoping to eliminate their personalities.[8]: 68 However, the presence of their personalities remained obvious. In rehearsals, Balanchine neither criticized nor approved them, although Youskevitch was convinced that their "romanticized" interpretations were not accepted by Balanchine.[8]: 112 Alonso nevertheless noted she "learned a lot" throughTheme and Variations, especially "to listen to each instrument individually," which became helpful when her eyesight got worse.[8]: 112
Theme and Variations premiered on November 26, 1947, at theCity Center 55 Street Theater.[5]: 405–406 It was well-received by both critics and the audience.[5]: 22 Lincoln Kirstein, who co-founded theBallet Society with Balanchine, was pleased that Balanchine achieved success, but jealous that it was with another company.[5]: 22–23 In a letter toIgor Stravinsky onBoxing Day 1947, Kirstein wrote that he andPavel Tchelitchev both thoughtTheme and Variations was not Balanchine's best work, "but it appealed madly to the public," and believed that Balanchine had "become recognized" after spending fifteen years in the United States.[5]: 22–23
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Source:[9]
Balanchine debut as an orchestral conductor during a Ballet Theatre performance ofTheme and Variations in December 1947.[10] Months after the world premiere ofTheme and Variations, the ballet was performed in Cuba, Alicia Alonso's home country, with her and original cast members Igor Youskevitch, Melissa Hayden and Fernando Alonso, alongside members of Ballet Alicia Alonso (nowCuban National Ballet).[8]: 110
Balanchine's company, theNew York City Ballet, performedTheme and Variations for the first time in 1960, with the two lead roles danced byViolette Verdy andEdward Villella respectively. However, Verdy had already danced the ballet with Ballet Theatre before. The costumes of this production were designed byKarinska.[11]
In 1970, when Balanchine madeSuite No. 3, (now titledTschaikovsky Suite No. 3),[a] a ballet to the whole suite, he incorporated the choreography ofTheme and Variations.[12][13] At the premiere, theTheme and Variations portion was danced by Edward Villella andGelsey Kirkland.[12]
Other ballet companies that had performedTheme and Variations includeThe Royal Ballet,[14]Kirov Ballet,[15]San Francisco Ballet,[16]Dutch National Ballet,[17]Birmingham Royal Ballet,[18]Boston Ballet,[19]Pacific Northwest Ballet,[20]Houston Ballet,[21]Royal Danish Ballet andLes Grands Ballets Canadiens.[22]