Balanchine Catalogue Archive
Search by title, year, composer, cast or production details.
255. Aïda 1948
Opera in Three Acts by Giuseppe Verdi
ACT II, SCENE 2 TRIUMPHAL BALLET
- Music
Giuseppe Verdi
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
October 28, 1948, New York City Opera, City Center of Music and Drama, New York. Danced by New York City Ballet. Conductor: Laszlo Halasz
- Cast
Maria Tallchief, Nicholas Magallanes, 6 women, 4 men
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
In addition to the Scene 2 ballet, reviews mention the Ritual of the Priestesses and dance entertainment for Amneris.
226. Aïda 1945
Opera in Four Acts and Seven Scenes by Giuseppe Verdi
ACT II BALLET
- Music
Giuseppe Verdi
- Choreography
George Balanchine and William Dollar
- Premiere
ca. June 8, 1945, Ópera Nacional, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. Danced by advanced students from the School of American Ballet and guest soloists. Conductor: Carl Alwin
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
Accompanying Balanchine and Dollar to Mexico were Marie-Jeanne, Nicholas Magallanes, and twelve girls from the School of American Ballet, including Patricia Wilde. Printed programs do not list dances or dancers. Balanchine choreographed Aïda, Faust, and Samson et Dalila. He may also have choreographed Carmen and Rigoletto, but no documentation has been located. Concerto Barocco [195], Apollo [84], and Dollar’s Constantia and his staging of Les Sylphides were also performed.
Source Notes
Balanchine, Marie-Jeanne, Patricia Wilde
152. Aїda 1935
Opera in Four Acts by Giuseppe Verdi
ACTS I AND II BALLETS
- Music
Giuseppe Verdi
- Premiere
December 20, 1935, Metropolitan Opera, New York. Danced by American Ballet Ensemble. Conductor: Ettore Panizza.
- Cast
ACT I, SCENE 2 TEMPLE DANCE: Corps de ballet.
ACT II, SCENE I, NEGRO DANCE: Corps de ballet.
ACT II, SCENE 2, VICTORY DANCE: Daphne Vane, William Dollar, corps de ballet.
ACT II, SCENE I, NEGRO DANCE: Corps de ballet.
ACT II, SCENE 2, VICTORY DANCE: Daphne Vane, William Dollar, corps de ballet.
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
At least three versions of Aïda were danced by the American Ballet Ensemble at the Metropolitan Opera. Choreography was variously credited to Balanchine, William Dollar, and Marius Petipa.
111. Tannhaüser 1932
Opera in Three Acts and Four Scenes by Richard Wagner
ACT I VENUSBERG BALLET
- Music
Richard Wagner
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
January 21, 1932, Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Danced by Ballets [Russes] de Monte-Carlo. Conductor: Gabriel Grovlez
- Cast
Valentina Lanina [Blinova], Léon Woizikowsky, 14 women, 7 men
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
As with his opera choreography for Diaghilev, because of such variables as new scenery and different numbers of people, while he was ballet master for the Blum-de Basil company [later Les Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo] in 1932, Balanchine rechoreographed all the operas carried over from earlier seasons as well as the operas receiving their premieres.
Source Notes
Choreography acknowledged by Balanchine
