FREE ESSAY ON THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET

THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET

THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Ballet, what exactly is ballet your probably wondering... well ballet is a classical
dance form characterized by grace and precision of movement and elaborate formal
technique, often but not always performed on point by the women dancers. Lincoln
Kirstein, a very wealth man, founded the New York City Ballet in 1933 as the American
Ballet. He imported George Balanchine to New York that year for the purpose of having an
American school company in the best Russian tradition. The choreographer was, of course,
Russian-Parisian, and his point of view and style was mainly European, as was the entire
teaching staff, but the performing personnel was local, and it hoped that under the
director of the master, native choreographers and teachers would in time develop. 
After three years, the company suspended operations. A splinter group, Ballet Caravan
directed by Kirstein himself, kept the flame going. It was this group that produced Billy
and the Kid (Loring, Copland, Jared French), the first real American Masterpiece and it
was this group that progressed the development of Michael Kidd, William Dollar, Lew
Christensen, and Ruthanna Boris.
Even though the ballet company was not making any progress for eleven years, the American
Ballet School never closed there doors and has trained a generation of eligible dancers.
In 1947, after twelve-year hibernation, Kirstein revived the performing company with
Balanchine again in charge. It had been posted in all trade schools (no theaters were
then regularly available for dance companies) and after a two-year move to the New York
City Center Theater. In the following decade, it became one of the leading ballet
companies in the world. It is however, entirely under the power of Balanchine and all
comes down to his personality and style. The addition of Jerome Robbins in 1949 as
co-director somewhat expanded the horizon of the New York City Ballet. 
The company has toured Europe, Russia, and Orient. It is building up a lot of financial
security and has very bright plans in the future. It has also acquired the largest, the
most faithful, intelligent, and enthusiastic audience in the American theater world. 
This is a quote from Agnes De Mille "When you perform...you are out of yourself -larger
and more potent, more beautiful. You are for minutes heroic. This is power. This is glory
on earth. And it is yours nightly".