MAÎTRES AMÉRICAINS

In this country, which had as yet no choreographic tradition of its own, the patron Lincoln Kirstein gave him the opportunity to revitalise classical dance, which, in old Europe, was becoming entangled in a centuries-old legacy. Their partnership would lead to the creation of one of the world’s most prestigious dance companies, the New York City Ballet.

A move away from dramatic narrative, a focus on the dance itself, the elimination of intrusive sets and cumbersome costumes in favour of carefully crafted lighting and minimalist costumes that emphasise the lines, and a reworking of the classical vocabulary – these were Balanchine’s defining contributions to the art of choreography in the 20th century.

It is surely in these *Four Temperaments*, created to a score specially commissioned from the great German composer Paul Hindemith, that Balanchine’s neoclassical aesthetic is at its most accomplished. Through the temperaments of the melancholic, the sanguine, the phlegmatic and the choleric, with no set and in rehearsal clothes, the dancers ‘show the music and let the dance be heard’, in accordance with the principle so dear to Mister B.

A Principal Dancer with the NYCB for many years, Peter Martins became its Artistic Director in 1990. As a worthy pupil and disciple of Balanchine, with *Fearful Symmetries* he has taken particular care to bring to life the formidable and complex score by the minimalist composer John Adams. The result is a masterclass! Set against a palette of reds, we are indeed witnessing ‘frightful symmetries’ – symmetries enough to drive one mad. Composed of a frenetic succession of ensemble pieces, pas de deux and solos, the ballet alternates between lightning-fast passages, which showcase the dancers’ technical virtuosity and musicality, and moments of respite that reveal the beauty of the bodies and the movements.

These two fascinating scores will be performed by the Orchestre national du Capitole, conducted by the German conductor Michael Balke.