In one evening, two 20th and 21st century classics – George Balanchine’s ballet Serenade and Edvard Clug’s contemporary choreography for Carl Orff's oratorio Carmina Burana – will meet on the Grand Stage of the Latvian National Opera.
SERENADE
George Balanchine is considered the most influential classical ballet choreographer of the 20th century and the founder of neo-classical ballet. In the 1920s, he was the choreographer Sergei Diaghilev’s legendary Ballets Russes. His founding of the School of American Ballet in 1934 opened the way for the development of classical ballet in the United States. He founded the New York City Ballet in 1948 and was its artistic director and leading choreographer until the end of his life in 1983. He choreographed hundreds of ballets during his lifetime and worked on Broadway and Hollywood projects, as well as in opera and television.
Ballet Serenade by George Balanchine is considered one of the cornerstones of dance history. This visually poetic choreography was originally created for ballet students. The ballet Serenade is based on Peter Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra in C Major and was first performed in 1934 by students of the School of American Ballet at the estate of Felix Warburg outside of New York City. It is Mr. Balanchine’s most performed ballet, licensed to this day by schools as well as ballet companies all over the world.
