George Balanchine, Ballet Master
with Marc Strauss
Five Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
February l, 8, 15, 22, 29
on Zoom
George Balanchine (né Georgiy Balanchivadze; 1904 – 1983), born in St. Petersburg, Russia, was one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century. Often referred to as the father of American ballet, he co-founded the New York City Ballet in 1948 and remained its artistic director for more than 35 years. His choreography is primarily characterized by plotless ballets with minimal costume and décor, set to classical and avant-garde music, and is performed to this day by companies around the world. Marc Strauss, Ph.D., professor emeritus in theatre and dance from Southeast Missouri State University, and Carol Pardo, longtime balletomane and online www.danceviewtimes.com author, will chronologically co-present, discuss, contextualize, and guide discussion on selected seminal and rare Balanchine dances from time periods and companies the world over on DVD and YouTube.