George Balanchine
Russian-American choreographer who co-founded the New York City Ballet.
George Balanchine, born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze on January 22, 1904 (January 9 by the old calendar), and dying on April 30, 1983, was a Russian-American choreographer of Georgian heritage. Often called the father of American ballet, he is considered one of the most significant choreographers of the 1900s. He helped create the New York City Ballet and served as its artistic director for over 35 years. His work is known for plotless ballets that use simple costumes and sets, set to classical and neoclassical music.
He was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Balanchine took the standards and techniques he learned at the Imperial Ballet School and blended them with other movement styles he picked up working on Broadway and in Hollywood, which produced his signature neoclassical style. His choreography was noted for its musicality—he used dance to express music—and he worked closely with major composers of his time, especially Igor Stravinsky. In 1933, the young arts patron Lincoln Kirstein invited Balanchine to America. Together, they founded the School of American Ballet in 1934 and the New York City Ballet in 1948.
**Early life and family**
Balanchine was born in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, to Meliton Balanchivadze, a Georgian opera singer and composer who helped found the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. Meliton later served as Minister of Culture of the Georgian Democratic Republic, which became independent in 1918 but was later forcibly absorbed into the Soviet Union. The Georgian side of Balanchine’s family was mostly made up of artists and soldiers. Little is known about his Russian maternal side. His mother, Maria Nikolayevna Vasilyeva, was Meliton’s second wife and is said to have been the daughter of Nikolai von Almedingen, a German. She left Russia after her father abandoned the family, taking her mother’s surname. Maria loved ballet and saw it as a way to move up from the lower levels of Saint Petersburg society. She was eleven years younger than Meliton and rumored to have been his housekeeper, though she had some cultural background and could play piano well. She also worked at a bank. Despite her love of ballet, she wanted her son to join the military. This was a difficult issue in the family because both parents were artistic—George’s father was also a talented pianist. Many believe that because his father was so invested in th
- born
- January 22, 1904 (O.S. January 9), Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
- died
- April 30, 1983
- field
- Ballet choreography
- nationality
- Russian-American, of Georgian descent
- known_for
- Co-founding the New York City Ballet; developing neoclassical ballet style; plotless ballets with minimal costume and décor
Lore & Background
In 1924, Balanchine and a small ensemble, including his wife Tamara Geva, left Soviet Russia to tour Europe. After unsuccessful performances in Berlin and London, they settled in Paris, where Sergei Diaghilev invited Balanchine to join the Ballets Russes as a choreographer. Diaghilev insisted he change his name from Balanchivadze to Balanchine. Between 1924 and Diaghilev's death in 1929, Balanchine created ten ballets, working with composers such as Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, Erik Satie, and Maurice Ravel, and artists like Pablo Picasso. In 1928, he premiered Apollon musagète (Apollo and the muses) with Stravinsky, a work he described as 'the turning point in my life' and regarded as the original neoclassical ballet. Due to a serious knee injury, Balanchine ended his performance career and focused on choreography. After Diaghilev's death, he staged dances for revues and variety shows in London and served as a guest ballet master for the Royal Danish Ballet.
Reader's Guide
George Balanchine's significance lies in his transformation of ballet in the 20th century, particularly through the development of his neoclassical style. By fusing the standards and technique from his Imperial Ballet School training with movement styles he adopted during his work on Broadway and in Hollywood, he created a signature approach that emphasized plotless ballets, minimal costume and décor, and a deep musicality. He expressed music with dance and worked extensively with leading composers like Igor Stravinsky. Invited to America in 1933 by Lincoln Kirstein, Balanchine co-founded the School of American Ballet in 1934 and the New York City Ballet in 1948, serving as its artistic director for over 35 years. His legacy includes a vast repertory of works that shifted focus from narrative to pure movement and music, influencing generations of choreographers and dancers. Even after immigrating to the United States, he maintained connections with Georgian artists across the Iron Curtain.
Did You Know?
- Balanchine's father, Meliton Balanchivadze, was a founder of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre and later Minister of Culture of the Georgian Democratic Republic.
- Balanchine's first choreographed work was a pas de deux named La Nuit (1920), which the school directors did not approve of.
- Sergei Diaghilev insisted Balanchine change his surname from Balanchivadze to Balanchine.
- Balanchine's ballet Apollon musagète (1928) is regarded as the original neoclassical ballet.
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