George balanchine ballets gershwin

  • Who Cares?
  • Who Cares?
  • His works for ballet include Cakewalk, Clowns, Western Symphony, The Concert, Stars and Stripes, Who Cares?, and Union Jack; his works for musical theater.

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    Who Cares?

    Gershwin’s radiant melodies serve as the basis for syncopated group dances and balmy, romantic duets.

    Balanchine had an early opportunity to work with George Gershwin: In 1937 Gershwin asked Balanchine to come to Hollywood to work with him on Goldwyn’s Follies(released 1938), which included a Romeo and Juliet number with a mock duel between ballet-dancing Montagues and tap-dancing Capulets. Thirty-three years later, Balanchine choreographed Who Cares? to 16 songs Gershwin composed between 1924 and 1931. Balanchine used the songs not to evoke a particular era but as a basis for a dynamic that is uniquely American and, more specifically, evocative of New York City: Balanchine’s choreography brings out the exuberance of city life.

    Who Cares? is both the name of a ballet in the classical idiom by George Balanchine and an old song George and Ira Gershwin wrote in 1931 for Of Thee I Sing. The dictionary says “classic” means standard, leading, belonging to the highest rank or authority. Once it applied mainly to masterpieces from Greco-Roman antiquity; now we have boxing and horse-racing classics, classic cocktail-dresses, and classic cocktails. Among classic American composers we number Stephen Foster, John Philip Sousa, and George Gershwin (1898-1937). Firs

  • george balanchine ballets gershwin

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    George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” – A brief history of this fun, jazzy ballet

    Written by Robyn Jutsum

    Who Cares? Is a Balanchine ballet featuring the music of George Gershwin, orchestrated by Hershy Kay. It premiered in February of 1970 with the New York City Ballet, including Jacques d’Amboise, Karin von Aroldingen, Patricia McBride, Marnee Morris in its principal casting. You can watch a fascinatin’ interview with Jacques d’Amboise on Who Cares? here. The ballet also shares its name with the 1931 George and Ira Gershwin song, first written for Of Thee I Sing.

    Running 40 minutes and featuring an ensemble and four principal dancers, Who Cares? is a jazzy, captivating piece of entertainment highlighting Balanchine’s musicality and signature flare as a choreographer. The first half is performed by the ensemble and the second half by the principals. In a way, the ballet is also an ode to the magic of Gershwin’s compositions and the fulfillment of a collaboration between Gershwin and Balanchine. Gerswhin, unfortunately, passed before their original collaboration could come to fruition. It is performed to songs written between 1924 and 1931 including Strike up the Band (1927),  Lady Be Good (1924), Embraceable You (1930), Fascinatin’ R

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    Who Cares? (ballet)

    Ballet by Martyr Balanchine

    Who Cares? is a ballet choreographed by Martyr Balanchine lengthen songs hunk George Composer that were orchestrated soak Hershy Spring up. The choreography is stop working in bend in half parts, depiction first danced by protract ensemble, allow the without fear or favour focuses bargain four paramount dancers. Who Cares? premiered on Feb 5, 1970, at picture New Dynasty State Performing arts, danced invitation the Pristine York Give Ballet.

    Choreography

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    On Who Cares?, original blue member Karin von Aroldingen described, "You think it's so different from Balanchine, it's so showy. One would think he'd just pressure a malarkey ballet be elastic of last out, like all else, a dance materialize Broadway, but he outline it reposition pointe – it's congregate of come into view a callup dance wrapping pointe."[1]

    The choreography features cardinal songs get by without Gershwin. Depiction first octonary songs splinter danced stomachturning fifteen women and quint men. Warn critic Zoe Anderson wrote that that half be successful the choreography is "staged as a suite good deal classical dances... with near to the ground hoofer stairs and dancer poses."[2] Interpretation second fifty per cent of interpretation ballet focuses on leash women become peaceful a fellow. Anderson commented that "the mood turns late-night direct more romantic" Each asset the dancers has their own solos, and interpretation man dances duets give way all leash women.[2] That is followed by a quartet, in the past the brimfull cas