For New York City Ballet, choreographs Pas de Deux and Divertissement (Delibes) [350] and Harlequinade (Drigo) [351]; creates full-length ballet Don Quixote (Nabokov) [352] and performs title role at preview performance. — First annual School of American Ballet Workshop performance.

New York City Ballet has first subscription season; subscription plan significantly enlarges audience attending on regular basis. ― Choreographs Variations (Stravinsky) [353] and Brahms―Schoenberg Quartet [354]. ― For A Festival of Stravinsky: His Heritage and His Legacy, directed by Lucas Foss at New York’s Philharmonic Hall, choreographs Élégie [355] and Ragtime (II) [356]. ― New York City Ballet’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream becomes first feature-length film of a ballet made in United States; filming is under Balanchine’s direction and supervision. ― First New York City Ballet season at new permanent summer home, Sararoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York, where it is to give seasons each July (see ITINERARIES UNDERTAKEN BY BALANCHINE’S AMERICAN COMPANIES). ― In Stockholm supervises final rehearsals for Royal Swedish Ballet all-Balanchine evening.

For New York City Ballet, choreographs Trois Valses Romantiques (Chabrier), the full-length, plotless Jewels (Fauré, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky), and Glinkiana [357-359].

For New York City Ballet, creates Metastaseis & Pithoprakta (Xenakis) [360] and restages Slaughter on Tenth Avenue [361], originally created for On Your Toes in 1936. — Produces and directs stage movements for Company performance of Requiem Canticles (Stravinsky) [362], presented once in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. — For Ed Sullivan Show on television, choreographs Diana and Actaeon Pas de Deux (Pugni) [363]. — Choreographs La Source (Delibes) [364] for New York City Ballet.

For Hamburg State Opera, stages and choreographs first production outside Russia of Glinka’s opera Ruslan und Ludmilla [365]. ― Agrees to allow his ballets to be staged by West Berlin Ballet Ensemble, to work with young choreographers there, and to encourage exchanges between Berlin and New York City Ballet. ― For New York City Ballet, stages second section of Glinkiana, Valse Fantaisie [366], as separate ballet. ― Between New York and Saratoga seasons, New York City Ballet participates in Diaghilev Festival held in Monte Carlo to commemorate fortieth anniversary of last season of Ballets Russes and sixtieth anniversary of founding of that company, performing Apollo and Prodigal Son. ― School of American Ballet moves to its own specially designed quarters in Juilliard School of Music building at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. ― In Switzerland, stages four-act production of Ivanov/Petipa Le Lac des Cygnes (Tchaikovsky) [367] for Ballet du Grand Théâtre, Geneva. ― In West Berlin, rehearses Berlin Opera Ballet in Episodes, Symphony in C, and Apollon Musagète in preparation for its first all-Balanchine evening. ― Becomes artistic advisor of ballet school and company of Grand Théâtre, Geneva, which presents its first all-Balanchine evening. ― Kirstein becomes Chairman of the Board and Balanchine a Vice President of Dance Theatre of Harlem, the predominantly black classical ballet company and school newly founded by former New York City Ballet principal Arthur Mitchell. ― National Endowment for the Arts makes first of a series of grants to New York City Ballet.

For New York City Ballet, creates Who Cares? (Gershwin) [368] and choreographs full Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 [369] incorporating choreography of the 1947 Theme and Variations as fourth movement. ― With Robbins creates new version of Firebird [368.1]. — Receives Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural award. ― New York State Council on the Arts makes first of a series of grants for New York City Ballet production and administration costs.

Dance Theatre of Harlem appears with New York City Ballet in single performance of Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra (Liebermann) [370], choreographed by Balanchine and Mitchell. ― Choreographs PAMTGG [371] to music based on radio and television airline commercial (‘Pan Am Makes the Going Great’). ― Ballet du Grand Théâtre in Geneva presents performances of Divertimento No. 15, Episodes, Theme and Variations, and Who Cares? with guest artists from New York City Ballet.

Under auspices of New York State Council on the Arts, Governor Rockefeller presents New York State Award to Balanchine honoring his unique contribution to development of dance and dance audiences in New York. ― Conceives and directs eight-day festival to celebrate the music of Stravinsky, who had died in 1971, honoring ninetieth anniversary of composer’s birth (see FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE) ― Thirty-one ballets to Stravinsky compositions are presented, twenty-two of which are newly created by seven choreographers. ― Ten new ballets and stagings are by Balanchine: Sonata, Symphony in Three Movements, Violin Concerto, Danses Concertantes (revised from first presentation in 1944), Divertimento from ‘Le Baiser de la Fée,’ Scherzo à la Russe, Duo Concertant, Pulcinella, Choral Variations on Bach’s ‘Vom Himmel Hoch,’ and a staging of Symphony of Psalms [372-381]. ― In Pulcinella, choreographed in collaboration with Robbîns, Balanchine and Robbins dance as masked beggars. ― In Munich, New York City Ballet represents United States in cultural presentations at Olympic Games. ― Company makes second tour of Soviet Union, followed by first engagement in Poland (see ITINERARIES UNDERTAKEN BY BALANCHINE’S AMERICAN COMPANIES).

Tschaikovsky Concerto No. 2 [382, originally created in 1941 as Ballet Imperial] is given first performance by New York City Ballet in revised form. ― In West Berlin, stages Act II Polovtsian Dances (based on Fokine’s choreography) for Berlin Opera production of Borodin’s Prince Igor [383]. ― Choreographs Cortège Hongrois [384]. ― In Paris, rehearses ballet sequences for Paris Opera production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and Symphony in C for Paris Opera Ballet. ― Choreographs Cortège Hongrois for Melissa Hayden on her retirement from New York City Ballet. ― Goes to Berlin with eighty-one members of New York City Ballet for RM Productions filming of fifteen Balanchine ballets. ― Publication of Kirstein’s The New York City Ballet (Knopf) marks Company’s twenty-fifth anniversary year.

For Company creates Variations pour une Porte et un Soupir (Henry) [386], to musique concrète recorded on tape. ― For Sararoga Springs premiere, Balanchine and Danilova recreate full-length production of Coppélia (Delibes) [387] from Petipa choreography. ― Stages polonaise for Metropolitan Opera production of Boris Godunov (Moussorgsky) [388].

Conceives and supervises New York City Ballet Ravel Festival in honor of the composer and France (see FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE). ― During two-week period, twenty ballets are presented to Ravel’s music; sixteen are new works by four choreographers, eight by Balanchine. ― These are Sonatine, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (his third version of the opera-ballet), Shéhérazade, Le Tombeau de Couperin, Pavane, Tzigane, Gaspard de la Nuit, and Rapsodie Espagnole [389-396]. ― France awards Balanchine Order of the Légion d’Honneur. ― Choreographs Walpurgisnacht Ballet in Paris Opéra production of Faust (Gounod) [397]. ― In Saratoga Springs, The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Bizet) [398] receives premiere during Company’s summer season.

Chaconne [400], based on choreography for 1963 Hamburg State Opera production of Gluck’s Orpheus und Eurydike, presented by New York City Ballet as an independent ballet. ― Creates Union Jack [401] to British military, music-hall, and folk music arranged by Hershy Kay as New York City Ballet tribute to United States Bicentennial. ― In Paris, as part of French salute to Bicentennial, New York City Ballet gives series of performances featuring ballets from Stravinsky repertory (see ITINERARIES UNDERTAKEN BY BALANCHINE’S AMERICAN COMPANIES). ― Choreographs dances for School of American Ballet students in Juilliard American Opera Center production of Le Roi Malgré Lui (Chabrier) [403]. ― Revival of The Seven Deadly Sins is rehearsed by New York City Ballet but canceled due to musicians’ strike.

Publication of Nancy Reynolds’s Repertory in Review: Forty Years of the New York City Ballet (Dial). ― Choreographs Étude for Piano (Scriabin) [405] for first Spoleto Festival U. S. A. in Charleston, South Carolina. ― Creates Vienna Waltzes (Johann Strauss the Younger, Lehár, Richard Strauss) [406] for New York City Ballet. ― Balanchine and members of Company travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to film under his direction first of series of five programs devoted to his ballets for Dance in America on public television. ― In Montreal, under his supervision, Canadian Broadcasting System films Bugaku and Chaconne.

Creates for Company Ballo della Regina (Verdi) [407] and Kammermusik No. 2 (Hindemith) [408]. ― Coppélia is televised as New York City Ballet’s first appearance on public television’s Live from Lincoln Center series. ― School of American Ballet becomes first professional dance academy to receive a major grant from National Endowment for the Arts and in 1980 first to receive a Challenge Grant. ― Balanchine suffers mild heart attack.— Supervises production of Tricolore (Auric) [409] which, with Stars and Stripes and Union Jack, forms an ‘Entente Cordiale.’ ― In appreciation of his contribution to Royal Danish Ballet is named Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, First Class. ― First annual Kennedy Center Honors are presented by President Jimmy Carter to Marian Anderson, Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Richard Rodgers, and Arthur Rubinstein.

Choreographs Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (Richard Strauss) [410] as first Balanchine ballet presented by New York City Opera together with an opera performance and assists with pantomime scenes in Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) [411]. — In London rehearses Royal Ballet production of Liebeslieder Walzer. — New York City Ballet, in cooperation with Board of Education, presents first annual Young People’s Matinee at New York State Theater for New York City public-school children. — Undergoes triple bypass surgery.

For New York City Ballet choreographs Fauré’s Ballade [412] and stages Walpurgisnacht Ballet (Gounod) [413] to music from Faust, earlier choreographed for Paris Opéra. ― Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (Richard Strauss) [414] enters New York City Ballet repertory. ― Creates for Company Robert Schumann’s ‘Davidsbündlertänze’ [415]. ― Receives first National Gold Medal Award of National Society of Arts and Letters. ― New York City Ballet performs in festivals honoring Stravinsky Centennial in Berlin and Paris (see ITINERARIES UNDERTAKEN BY BALANCHINE’S AMERICAN COMPANIES).

For special production designed for television using New York City Ballet dancers creates fourth realization of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges [416]. ― Organizes and presents two-week Tchaikovsky Festival for New York City Ballet (see FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE). ― Included are twelve new works by six choreographers, of which Balanchine choreographs two and sections of two others; these are Mozartiana, Hungarian Gypsy Airs, Garland Dance from The Sleeping Beauty for Tempo di Valse, and Adagio Lamentoso from Symphony No. 6―Pathétique [417-420].

Plans acoustical improvements for New York State Theater. ― To celebrate one-hundredth anniversary of Stravinsky’s birth, conceives and supervises Stravinsky Centennial Celebration by New York City Ballet (see FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE). ― Between June 10 and June 18, twenty-five ballets and staged choral works set to Stravinsky’s music by six choreographers are performed. ― Of ten new works, Balanchine choreographs Tango and Élégie, and co-stages Noah and the Flood and Perséphone [421-424]. ― Following official closing of Centennial Celebration rechoreographs as solo for a ballerina Stravinsky’s Variations for Orchestra [425].—In November, after some years of ill health, Balanchine is admitted to Roosevelt Hospital where he will spend the last five months of his life.

Peter Martins appointed Co-chairman of Faculty, School of American Ballet. — Revival of On Your Toes [166], with additional choreography by Martins. — In March, Balanchine in absentia presented with Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. — On March 16, Balanchine named Ballet Master Emeritus of the New York City Ballet, Martins and Jerome Robbins become Ballet Masters-in-Chief. — Balanchine dies of pneumonia on April 30, New York City, after suffering for some time from what was posthumously diagnosed as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. — Balanchine is buried May 3 in Sag Harbor, Long Island, where he had long maintained a summer home.