George Balanchine (This blog offers a deep dive into the life of Balanchine, but also has three supplemental videos about topics related to his story. Enjoy!) Introduction George Balachine during a ballet rehearsal. (n.d.). Photographer: Martha Swope. This blog follows the life and work of George Balanchine, a prolific Russian dancer and choreographer whose journey in ballet commenced in St. Petersburg, Russia, and left impactful trails throughout multiple continents. These include North America, South America, and, of course, Europe. His contributions to the world of ballet span most of the twentieth century. As a researcher, I initially made the decision to research Balanchine because I was vaguely familiar with a somewhat cryptic quote of his: “See the music, hear the dance” (Horlacher). (I had heard this quote from a fictional drama movie entitled “High Strung,” which followed the education of a burgeoning female dancer). Beyond this quote of Balanchine’s, I had no prior knowledge ...
This blog describes the early life, choreographic career, and legacy contributions of George Balanchine.