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THE GEORGE BALANCHINE FOUNDATION ISSUES A NEW ARCHIVAL VIDEO

Jacques d'Amboise, the widely celebrated former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, coaches defining role of Apollo

New York City — The George Balanchine Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of Apollo to its Video Archives series. This unique series is devoted to examining, in detail, selected passages of George Balanchine's most notable choreography. In a studio setting, originators or major interpreters of some of the choreographer's greatest works teach, coach, demonstrate and discuss with dancers of today, roles they performed under Balanchine's tutelage. The overall goal is the creation of an original "manuscript" that preserves not only the steps of the ballets, but the nuances, rhythms and intent of the choreography as conceived and taught by Balanchine himself.

Jacques d'Amboise was, for over three decades, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and is recognized as one of the foremost interpreters of the role of Apollo. For this coaching session he worked with NYCB principal dancers Robert Fairchild and Sterling Hyltin. The pianist was Susan Walters, soloist with the New York City Ballet Orchestra.

The release of the Apollo video brings Video Archives series to a total fifty-six. Edited masters are preserved in the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and copies of these are made available to non-circulating research repositories for a nominal fee. Currently nearly eighty libraries around the world house these videos which are also available through the Alexander Street Press Dance in Video series.

Nancy Reynolds, dance historian, writer, and the Foundation's director of research, conceived and continues to direct the program, assisted by Paul Boos, a répétiteur with the George Balanchine Trust, Virginia Brooks, independent filmmaker and film professor, and Gus Reed, a New York City based filmmaker. For a complete list of the George Balanchine Video Archives and the facilities housing them, please visit: https://balanchine.org../../03/gbfvideoarchives_videos.html

The George Balanchine Foundation (www.balanchine.org) is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1983. Its mission is to create programs that educate the public and further Balanchine's work and aesthetic with the goal of advancing high standards of excellence in dance and its allied arts.