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37-584: Professional ballet company in the US Not to be confused with American Ballet Theatre . The American Ballet was the first professional ballet company George Balanchine created in the United States . The company was founded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward Warburg , managed by Alexander Merovitch and populated by students of Kirstein and Balanchine's School of American Ballet . Having failed to mount

74-896: A 1959 American tour for musicians and dancers from the Japanese Imperial Household Agency . At that time, Japanese Imperial court music, gagaku , had only rarely been performed outside the Imperial Music Pavilion in Tokyo at some of the great Japanese shrines. Kirstein commissioned and helped to fund the physical home of the New York City Ballet: the New York State Theater building at Lincoln Center , designed in 1964 by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee . Despite its conservative modernist exterior,

111-618: A former dancer with ABT, serves as the school's artistic director. ABT Studio Company, formerly known as ABT II, is a small company of 12 young dancers, ranging from ages 16 to 20, handpicked by ABT. It is the top level of the American Ballet Theatre training ladder and is currently an extension of the ABT JKO school. These dancers are trained in the program to join ABT's main company or other leading professional companies, and

148-611: A private party. The ballet they performed was Serenade , the first major ballet choreographed by Balanchine in the United States. Just months later, Kirstein and Warburg founded, together with Balanchine and Dimitriew, the American Ballet, which later became the resident company of the Metropolitan Opera . According to Kirstein, this arrangement was unsatisfactory because the opera company failed to provide

185-1409: A tour, American Ballet began performing at the Old Met . After being allowed to stage only two dance performances ( Orfeo ed Euridice ) in 1936 and an evening of dances choreographed to the music of Igor Stravinsky in 1937), Balanchine moved the company to Hollywood in 1938. The company was restarted as the American Ballet Caravan and toured North and South America, although it too folded after several years. See also [ edit ] New York City Ballet Footnotes [ edit ] ^ Sunday NY Times, October 22, 1933 ^ NY Times, December 7, 1939 ^ NY Times, September 27, 1935 ^ Sunday NY Times, February 24, 1935 External links [ edit ] Archives at Location Music Division, Library of Congress Source American Ballet Caravan music scores, 1935-1947 How to use archival material Sunday NY Times, June 10, 1934 NY Times, June 11, 1934 Sunday NY Times, November 4, 1934 NY Times, February 7, 1935 NY Times, February 22, 1935 Sunday NY Times , John Martin , February 24, 1935 NY Times, August 8, 1935 NY Times, August 13, 1935 NY Times, August 20, 1935 Sunday NY Times, letter to

222-404: Is a clear if complex blending of human anatomy, solid geometry and acrobatics offered as a symbolic demonstration of manners—the morality of consideration for one human being moving in time with another." In 1976, poet Vernon Scannell said that Kirstein "regarded dancers not as artists but as acrobats; their skills were, he maintained, entirely physical and he felt his involvement with the dance

259-558: Is made up of a combination of partnerships within the community and within the industry in addition to scholarships and opportunities for exposure for children of color. Annually, as of 2013, Project Plié has awarded scholarships to young people ranging from ages 9 to 18 including to the ABT/JKO School, ABT's summer intensive programs and ABT's Young Dancer Workshop. Notes Further viewing Lincoln Kirstein Kirstein

296-535: The Ballet Society , which was renamed the New York City Ballet in 1948. In a letter that year, Kirstein stated, "The only justification I have is to enable Balanchine to do exactly what he wants to do in the way he wants to do it." Kirstein served as the company's general director from 1946 until 1989. In a 1959 monograph titled What Ballet Is All About Kirstein wrote: "Our Western ballet

333-775: The Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. The company was scheduled to have a 5-week spring season at the MET preceded by a 2-week season at the Koch Theater beginning in 2020. ABT is the parent company of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School , and

370-487: The Metropolitan Opera House , its new official venue. Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1980 became artistic director for American Ballet Theatre. Baryshnikov staged, restaged, and refurbished numerous classical ballets and, according to the company, strengthened their classical tradition. Baryshnikov was replaced in 1989 by Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith, who remained as artistic directors until 1992, when Kevin McKenzie received

407-716: The Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the arts. Kirstein was also a serious collector. Soon after the opening at Lincoln Center of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts , he contributed a significant amount of historic dance materials to the Jerome Robbins Dance Division. Before his death in 1996, Kirstein also donated his personal papers, artworks, and other materials related to

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444-702: The Museum of Modern Art , the Library of Congress , and the National Gallery of Art . In the spring of 1944, Kirstein traveled to London for the U.S. Arts and Monuments Commission, and after a month, he was transferred to the unit in France that came to be known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) program. The section was devoted to rescuing and preserving European art. In January 1945, Kirstein

481-597: The Stein-Bloch & Co., in Rochester. He grew up in a wealthy Bostonian family and attended the private Berkshire School , along with George Platt Lynes , graduating in 1926. He then attended Harvard , the alma mater of his father, vice-president of Filene's Department Store , graduating in 1930. At Harvard, he founded the Society for Contemporary Art. In 1927, while an undergraduate at Harvard, Kirstein

518-3092: The United States Ballet Alabama Ballet Alameda Civic Ballet Alexandra Ballet Alonzo King LINES Ballet American Ballet Theatre American Repertory Ballet Anaheim Ballet Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Atlanta Ballet Atlanta Festival Ballet Ballet Arizona Ballet Austin Ballet Des Moines Ballet Fantastique Ballet Magnificat! Ballet Memphis BalletMet Ballet Minnesota Ballet Nouveau Colorado Ballet Quad Cities Ballet San Jose Ballet Theatre of Maryland Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Ballet West Ballez Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre Bay Pointe Ballet Boston Ballet California Riverside Ballet Carolina Ballet Cedar Lake Charlotte Ballet Chicago Ballet Chicago Festival Ballet Cincinnati Ballet Cleveland Ballet Colorado Ballet Complexions Concert Ballet of Virginia Dance Theatre of Harlem Dayton Ballet Eugene Ballet Folsom Lake Civic Ballet Greensboro Ballet Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Houston Ballet James Sewell Ballet Joffrey Ballet Kansas City Ballet Los Angeles Ballet Louisville Ballet Miami City Ballet Morphoses Mystic Ballet National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico New Jersey Ballet New York City Ballet Oklahoma City Ballet Oregon Ballet Theatre Pacific Northwest Ballet Pennsylvania Ballet Pittsburgh Ballet Richmond Ballet San Francisco Ballet Sarasota Ballet Suzanne Farrell Ballet Texas Ballet Theater Tulsa Ballet The Washington Ballet Contemporary Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater AXIS Dance Company Ballet Deviare Ballet Hispanico Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Dominic Walsh Hubbard Street Lar Lubovitch Martha Graham Momix Paul Taylor The Philadelphia Dance Company Pilobolus Ririe-Woodbury sjDANCEco Urban Bush Women Whim W'Him L.A. Dance Project Other Chicago Dance Crash Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater Ice Theatre of New York The LXD The Rockettes Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Ballet&oldid=1204337320 " Categories : Ballet companies in

555-737: The United States New York City Ballet 1936 establishments in New York City Performing groups established in 1936 Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Use mdy dates from December 2022 American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre ( ABT ) is a classical ballet company based in New York City . Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at

592-599: The United States. In October 1933, together with Edward Warburg , a classmate from Harvard, and Vladimir Dimitriew, Balanchine's manager, they started the School of American Ballet in Hartford, Connecticut . In 1934, the studio moved to the fourth floor of a building at Madison Avenue and 59th Street in New York City. Warburg's father, Felix M. Warburg , invited the group of students from the evening class to perform at

629-674: The appointment. McKenzie satisfied the demands of the traditional ballet audience by prioritizing full-length narrative ballets. He also succeeded in keeping the company afloat during financially unstable times. In 2004 he established an official associate ballet school, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School . After a long period of no in-house choreographer, McKenzie appointed Alexei Ratmansky as "Artist in Residence" in January 2009. McKenzie stepped down from

666-556: The ballet company with financial resources and artistic freedom. Kirstein's theatrical career was interrupted by the United States' entry into World War II . He enlisted in 1943, and before going overseas, started working on a project gathering and documenting soldier art for a prospective exhibit and book titled Artists Under Fire . Unfortunately he was not able to find a major book publisher, but selections from his efforts were published in Life Magazine and exhibited in part at

703-668: The cats in fairy tales, tap dancers, and Buddhist temples. Kirstein felt his involvement in writing, starting with Hound & Horn , had helped him have many adventures in life. Beginning in 1919, Kirstein kept a diary, continuing with the practice until the late 1930s. In writing a 2007 biography of Kirstein, The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein, Martin Duberman drew on these diaries, as well as Kirstein's numerous letters, to gain insight into Kirstein's personal life. Kirstein wrote about enjoying sex with various men, including Harvard undergraduates, sailors, rentboys, and casual encounters in

740-403: The company changed its name to American Ballet Theatre. It continued to emphasize ballet classics, yet remained challenged by financial issues. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company's prospects brightened due to more favorable private funding. During this period, American Ballet Theatre shifted its ballet focus to the recruitment of star performers. In 1977, the company began its spring season at

777-471: The company in late 2022, as announced in 2021. Susan Jaffe took over the company at the end of 2022. Ratmansky departed the troupe in June 2023. American Ballet Theatre has four levels within the company. They are (in ascending order): apprentice , corps de ballet , soloist , and principal . The following is a partial list of former dancers with ABT, listed by their highest rank prior to leaving

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814-735: The company. Perhaps no other choreographer was as closely associated with ABT as the great British choreographer Antony Tudor , who made his American debut with the company. The other continuous creative force was the legendary Agnes de Mille . She staged the majority of her ballet works with them. Many choreographers have mounted works especially for ABT, including George Balanchine , Adolph Bolm , Michel Fokine , Léonide Massine , and Bronislava Nijinska . Other renowned choreographers who have worked at ABT include Jerome Robbins , Twyla Tharp , and Alvin Ailey . ABT's 1976 production of The Nutcracker starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland

851-588: The editor from Lincoln Kirstein , August 25, 1935 Sunday NY Times review of benefit for the Westchester County Girl Scouts at County Centre, September 29, 1935 "Balanchine Out of Opera; Ballet Will Go With Him; Master of Troupe Criticizes Metropolitan's Standards—Says Dowagers Did Not Like His Dances as They Were 'Too Good' Balanchine Quits with Opera Ballet" by H. Howard Taubman , The New York Times , April 13, 1938 v t e Dance companies in

888-608: The glittery red and gold interior recalls the imaginative and lavish backdrops of the Ballets Russes . He served as the general director of the ballet company from 1948 to 1989. Kirstein was among the public figures at the core of the effort to save Olana , the home of Frederic Edwin Church , before it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and subsequently became a New York State Historic Site. On March 26, 1984, President Ronald Reagan presented Kirstein with

925-412: The history of dance and his life in the arts to the division. Kirstein was also the primary patron of the artist Paul Cadmus , Fidelma's brother, buying many of his paintings and subsidizing his living expenses. Cadmus had difficulty selling his work through galleries because of the erotically charged depictions of working class and middle-class men, which provoked controversy. Kirstein was rendered in

962-567: The program is described by ABT as "a bridge between ballet training and professional performance". Project Plié is a diversity initiative launched in 2013 by Rachel Moore , who was then ABT's executive director and CEO. Following her departure, the project was overseen by artistic director Kevin McKenzie and Mary Jo Ziesel, ABT director of education and training. The program was inspired by ABT principal dancer Misty Copeland , and aims to "increase racial and ethnic representation in ballet and diversify America's ballet companies". The initiative

999-418: The quarterly with him. The publication gained prominence in the artistic world and ran until 1934 when Kirstein decided to focus his energy and resources on the career of George Balanchine and the development of the School of American Ballet . His interest in ballet and Balanchine started when he saw Balanchine's Apollo performed by the Ballets Russes . Kirstein became determined to bring Balanchine to

1036-661: The showers at the 63rd Street YMCA. He had longer affairs with dancer Pete Martinez and artist Dan Maloney. He had both platonic relationships and many that started as casual sex and developed into long-term friendships. He also maintained relationships with women. In 1941, he married Fidelma Cadmus, a painter and the sister of the artist Paul Cadmus . Kirstein and his wife enjoyed an amicable if sometimes stressful relationship until her death in 1991, but she withdrew from painting and then from life, suffering breakdowns that eventually were more serious than his. Some of his boyfriends lived with them in their East 19th Street house; "Fidelma

1073-575: The studio of friend Dan Maloney. He sometimes had to be constrained in a straitjacket for weeks at a psychiatric hospital. His illness did not generally affect his professional creativity until the end of his life. He also suffered two heart attacks in February 1975. English critic Clement Crisp wrote: "He was one of those rare talents who touch the entire artistic life of their time. Ballet, film, literature, theatre, painting, sculpture, photography all occupied his attention." Kirstein helped organize

1110-469: The world. The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre (ABT/JKO School) is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located within the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a Children's Division for ages 4 to 12, a Pre-Professional Division for ages 12 to 18, and the preparatory program Studio Company for ages 16 to 20. Cynthia Harvey,

1147-442: Was a salutary escape from the cerebral and sedentary life into a world that was closer to that of the athlete than the artist." Kirstein's and Balanchine's collaboration lasted until the latter's death in 1983. Kirstein wrote a great deal over 60 years. His bibliography was eventually almost 600 works. He published volumes on the artists he championed. He also wrote about other subjects that interested him, including Hollywood stars,

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1184-464: Was born in Rochester, New York , to Jewish parents, the son of Rose Stein and Louis E. Kirstein (1867–1942). His brother was George Kirstein , his sister was Mina Kirstein and his paternal grandparents were Jeanette (née Leiter) and Edward Kirstein, a successful Rochester clothing manufacturer who ran E. Kirstein and Sons, Company . His maternal grandfather was Nathan Stein, a senior executive at

1221-825: Was enormously fond of most of them." The New York art world considered Kirstein's bisexuality an "open secret", although he did not publicly acknowledge his sexual orientation until 1982. Kirstein's eclectic interests, ambition and keen interest in high culture, funded by independent means, drew a large circle of creative friends from many fields of the arts. These included Glenway Wescott , George Platt Lynes , Jared French , Bernard Perlin , Pavel Tchelitchev , Katherine Anne Porter , Barbara Harrison , Gertrude Stein , Donald Windham , Cecil Beaton , Jean Cocteau , W.H. Auden , George Tooker , Margaret French Cresson , Walker Evans , and Sergei Eisenstein , among others. In his later years, Kirstein struggled with bipolar disorder – mania, depression, and paranoia. He destroyed

1258-465: Was frustrated that the literary magazine The Harvard Advocate would not invite him to join its editorial board despite his having published several well-regarded pieces in the magazine. With friend Varian Fry (who met his wife Eileen through Lincoln's sister Mina), he convinced his father to finance the Hound & Horn , a new literary quarterly. After graduation, he moved to New York in 1930, taking

1295-619: Was promoted to private first class in Patton's Third Army, and his unit moved to Germany. Kirstein was involved with retrieving artworks around Munich and from the salt mines at Altaussee . His article "The Quest for the Golden Lamb" about the quest was published in Town & Country in September 1945, the same month he was discharged from the army. In 1946, Balanchine and Kirstein founded

1332-695: Was recognized as "America's National Ballet Company" in 2006 by the United States Congress . In 1939 Pleasant and Chase committed to the creation of "a large scale company with an eclectic repertory". The pair and a small group from Mordkin Ballet formed Ballet Theatre . Their new company's first performance was on 11 January 1940. Chase began developing the company's repertoire of well-known full-length ballets, as well as original works, amidst financial issues. In 1945 Oliver Smith joined Ballet Theatre and became co-director with Chase. In 1957

1369-586: Was televised the following year and has become a broadcast classic. The main season is held during the spring at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House , with shorter seasons in the fall previously held at New York City Center , now held at the David H. Koch Theater . Performances of Alexei Ratmansky 's The Nutcracker during the holiday season are held at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts . The company tours extensively throughout United States and

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