Who George Balacin considered the most ingenious dancer. George Balacin and his Kramol Ballets

George Balanchine is an outstanding balletmester of Georgian origin, marked the beginning of the American ballet and modern neoclassical ballet art as a whole.

"Are you familiar with George Balanchine? If not, then you will tell you that he is Georgian and his Georgian name - Georgy Balanchivadze. He has a personal charm, he is a brunette, a flexible dancer dancer and the most brilliant master of ballet equipment from those I know. Future for us. And, for God's sake, do not let us lose it! " - This is an excerpt from the letter of American art historian and impresario Lincoln Kirstayna to its colleague in America. It was his head that he was born a crazy idea about creating an American ballet under the leadership of no one else like George Balanchine.

But before this adventurous, at that time, Kirstayna's way, Balanchine was not difficult and tortuous. George Balanchine (at the birth of Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze was born) on January 22, 1904 in St. Petersburg, in the family of the famous Georgian composer Meliton Balanchivadze, one of the founders of modern Georgian musical culture. Mother George Balanchivadze - Maria Vasilyeva - was Russian. It was she who instilled in George love for art and, in particular, to the ballet.

In 1913, Balanchivadze was enrolled in a ballet school at the Mariinsky Theater, where he studied with Paul Gerdt and Samuel Andrianova. "We had a real classic technique, clean. In Moscow, did not teach so much ... They, in Moscow, were running out of the scene naked, such a candybober, the muscles showed. In Moscow there were more acrobatics. This is not the imperial style," said Balanchivadze.

He was diligent and, after graduating from school, was adopted in the troupe of the Petrograd State Opera and Ballet Theater (former Mariinsky) in 1921. Becoming in the early 1920s, one of the organizers of the team "Young Ballet", Balanchivadze, already then began to put his numbers who performed with other young artists. It was not easy for them - I had to starve.

"1923 came to an end. From the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater, we went to the tour to Germany. I crossed the return date. On one rainy day I received a telegram:" Go back home immediately, not your business will be bad. "Telegram signed the commandant of the Mariinsky Theater. So I was frightened, since he writes that my things are bad. Scared and stayed, "writes in his memoirs Balanchivadze.

Soon in Paris, the greatest impresario Sergey Dyagilev, who opened the world not only Russian art, but also many great names, invites Balanchivadze and other artists of the group to their famous troupe "Russian ballet". It was according to the ultimate recommendation of Dyagilyev Georgy adapted his name to the West manner and became George Balanchine.

Soon the balanchina becomes the balletmaster of the Russian Ballet. He put ten ballet for Dyagilev, including the "Apollo Musaget" to the music of Igor Stravinsky (1928), who, together with the "Prodigal Son", is still considered to be a masterpiece of neoclassical choreography. At the same time, the long-term cooperation of Balanchine and Stravinsky began and the creative credo Balanchine was announced: "To see music, hear the dance."

© Photo: Sputnik / Galina Kmit

But after the death of Dyagilev, "Russian ballet" began to decay, and the Balanchine left him. He worked as an invited balletmaster in London and Copenhagen, then briefly returned to the new "Russian ballet", which settled in Monte Carlo, but soon he left him again, deciding to organize his own troupe - "Ballet-1933" (Les Ballets 1933). The troupe existed only a few months, but during this time there made several successful modulations for the music of Darius Miyo, Kurt Wail and Henri Sog. It was on one of these ideas that the Balanchine saw the famous American patrols Lincoln Kirstine.

The Boston Millionaire was obsessed with ballet. He had a dream: to create an American ballet school, and at its base - a US ballet company. In the face of the young, seeking, talented, ambitious Balanchine Kirstine saw a person who can embody his dream into life. The choreographer agreed and in October 1933 moved to the United States.

Here, the longest and brilliant period of his activity began. Balletmaster started literally on scratch. The first project of George Balanchine in a new place was the opening of a ballet school. With the financial support of Kirstayna and Edward Warberga on January 2, 1934, the American ballet school accepted the first students. The first ballet that Balanchin put with students was "Serenade" to Tchaikovsky's music.

Then a small professional troupe "American ballet" was created. She danced first in the "Metropolitan Opera" - from 1935 to 1938, then toured as an independent team. In 1936, Balanchine put ballet "Murder on the Tenth Avenue". The first reviews were destroying. Balablan remained calm. He firmly believed in success. Success came after decades of hard work: there were also unchanging press enthusiasm, and a multi-million grant from Ford Foundation, and a portrait of Balanchine on the cover of the magazine "Time". And the main thing is the crowded halls on the representations of its ballet troupe. George Balanchine became a recognized head of the American ballet, the legislator of tastes, one of the leaders of neoclassicism in art.

In his dancing, Balanchine sought to the classical completeness of the form, to the flawless purity of the style. In many of his works, there is practically no plot. The balletmaster himself believed that the plot in the ballet was completely not important, the main thing is only music and movement itself: "You need to discard the plot, do without scenery and lush costumes. The body of the dancer is his main tool, it should be seen. Instead of decorations - change of light ... There is a dance expresses everything with only music. " Therefore, for this, the balancing needed extremely musical, sharply feeling rhythm and high-tech dancers. "

Interesting fact: George Balanchine tried not to miss the elections - he appreciated the opportunity to express his opinion. He loved to discuss political issues and regretted that the etiquette does not allow to talk about politics during dinners. Moreover, the Balanchine was a member of the jury, which was with a great responsibility, and his first meeting was the case against the Bloomingda department store. And they also said that the balanchin often used slogans from television advertising in lessons and rehearsals.

© Photo: Sputnik / Alexander Makarov

In 1946, Balanchine and the same Kirstine founded the Baltic Society troupe, and in 1948, the Balanchine was offered to lead this troupe as part of the New York Music Center and Drama. Baltic Society has become the New York City Ballet. In 1950-1960, the Balanchine carried out a number of successful performances, including the "Nutcracker" Tchaikovsky, the execution of which was the Christmas tradition in the United States.

But from the late 1970s, the choreographer first began to show signs of Cratetzfeldt's disease - Jacob, the progressive dystrophic disease of the large brain cortex and the spinal cord. Death in this disease occurs in 85% of cases, with a slight form, and if severe cure is impossible. George Balanchine died in 1983, buried in the Cemetery of Auckland in New York. Five months after his death in New York, the George Balanchine Foundation was founded.

Today Balance Balanchi go in all countries of the world. He had a decisive influence on the development of choreography of the twentieth century, without rushing with traditions, but boldly updating them.

© Photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti

Balacin said about his creative principles: "The ballet is so rich in the art that he should not be an illustrator of even the most interesting, even the most informative literary sources ... Fifteen years old dancers produce every cage of their body, and all cells must sing on stage. And if beauty This developed and traded body, his movement, its plastic, its expressiveness will deliver aesthetic pleasure to sitting in the auditorium, then the ballet, in my opinion, reached its goal. "

Among the stories about Russian emigrants, Sergey Dovytova also has an anecdote about how Balanchin did not want to write a will, and when he wrote, he left a brother in Georgia a couple of golden watches, and all his ballets crossed eighteen her beloved women. All ballets are four hundred twenty-five writings. Figure, not amenable.

In Russia, the anniversary Balanchine celebrated the Mariinsky Theater, who gave ballet Balanchine "Jewelry", and the Moscow House of Nachichkin's Moscow Gallery, which opens the exhibition of Paul's Cleck photographer, who shot the performance of Balanchic in New York City Ballett for 30 years.

The phrase "I will live up to one hundred years" appears in the book Sergey Dovlatova "not only Brodsky". Among the stories about Russian emigrants, Dovlatova also has a joke about how Balanchin did not want to write a will, and when he wrote a couple of gold watches in Georgia, and all his ballets crossed eighteen loved women. All ballets are 425 writings. Figure, not amenable. This is not even 150 Ballets of Rolan Petit, who loves to repeat that it is more fruit than Picasso. This is a colossal heritage from which two or three names are known to the town center ("Apollo", "Crystal Palace" and, perhaps, "the prodigal son"), and specialists are several dozen. Show everything that the Balanchine has vested, even his native theater New York City Ballett will not be able to the anniversary year, in 2004 he restored hundreds of names.

Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze, who received the name of Balanchine thanks to Dyagilev, who he put his first masterpieces after in 1924 he left the tour from Russia and did not return, was fruit and in God's will, and because it was often forced to just earn for life. In difficult times, he put in Hollywood, made a revision, served various shows and musicals. I put even a circus. What there is also a wonderful joke, but already in the book of Solomon Volkova "Passion on Tchaikovsky. Conversations with George Balanchine". Balletmaster ordered Stravinsky Polka. "And for whom Polka?" - asked the composer. "For Slonihi," Balanchine replied. Crener, a young "ballerina" or old, the composer wrote polka with a dedication: "For the young ballerina, elephants."

Anecdotes that are not less than the Balanchine than about Dyagilev and Nizhinsky, Brodsky and Baryshnikov

e, - a sign that the great American balletmaster, who adapts the Russian classics for the Great and naive in relation to the ballet of the nation, remained in our consciousness and our perception by the Russian emigrant. That is, "our" - despite all the Americanism of his ballet speech. This circumstance has prevented his ballets in Soviet Russia for a long time, the same circumstance in the post-prey time created the cult of Balanchine - the Great, incomprehensible, which is difficult to dance due to incredible complexity, but necessary. In order to keep up, to join the heritage, which was not only the beloved ballerinas, but the whole world.

The time of sober attitude towards the balanchina has not yet come - it will come when his ballets will enter the "legs" and the repertoire at least a dozen Russian theaters, and the public will learn another five or six names. Then, perhaps, the sacred thrill in front of the term "neoclassica Balanchina" will be changed by a calm attitude to the greatest of the artisans of the 20th century, which, according to the expression of Bezhar, "transferred to the era of interplanetary travels the fragrance of the court dances, decorated with their garlands of Louis HIV and Nicholas II.

If you look at the Jubilee Celebrations Card, published by New York City Ballett, you can see that only from December to February more than thirty theaters of the world ride his ballets. This is a hundred names. In the January calendar there is both the Mariinsky Theater - the most reverent of Russian applicants on the heritage of the balletmaster, who started his career in St. Petersburg. Today, January 22, here they give "jewels": the ballet in which the Balanchine thanks and chants three schools, three countries, fourth, France ("Emeralds"), America ("Rubins") and Russia ("Diamonds")

George Balacin and his Kramol Ballets

In 1962, New York City-Ballea arrived in Moscow under the guidance of George Balanchine. These were idyllic times when the American ballet could be removed the documentary. What I started.

The premiere took place in the big one. (Then the performances were walking in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses.) In the Hall - the whole Moscow, it was a big artistic event. But the beginning was delayed, there was no George Balanchy himself, the main balletmaster. He went to the hotel "Ukraine" to change clothes. And disappeared. Behind the scenes of panic, the phone does not cease, the audience is impatiently buzzing. An unprecedented case - the opening ceremony was carried out without a culprit of the celebration. And he appeared in the intermission and told with laughter that he was stuck in the elevator!

Balanchine appointed me to come to negotiate the next day in the morning. There was a rehearsal "Serenada". I saw the elderly, small growth of a person with a moving, but unsubstantial face. The view is tired. Hair tinned and lips slightly. Very beautiful hand brushes. In behavior and manner hold on - artistry, grace.

We talked about the repertoire of the tour. He explained perfectly in Russian, as he was born and grew up in Tiflis, his surname Balanchivadze. He said, about the following: - "Do not expect from us the performances of such the fact that a large theater shows abroad. We have no money to build bulky and expensive scenery, hire crowds of extras and dress them in lush clothes. The lack of money is in many ways saves us from a beamless. The modern public has grown, she for the most part has become intellectual, intelligent, and now no one will not surprise a magnificent sight, in which crowds of smallers will walk on stage, illustrating a literary idea. I am looking for an analogue of the musical content of a non-program symphonic work, deprived of, as you know, literary and artistic text. Text, but not meaning, plot - but not content. This is the principle of our theater. "

It he repeated and later when I shot an interview. In the meantime, I groped, whether the Americans will require money for shooting. We did not have them, and without the consent of the Balanchine, the Ministry of Culture was not allowed to start shooting - which naturally. Balalchine did not mind, and did not agree, shrugged and siffuls me to Mr. Kirstayna, the financial director and the owner of the troupe - which is also natural. Saying goodbye, Balanchine asked if I don't know how you can send flowers to Helsinki, there is his wife in the hospital. Where in Moscow you can order a basket and how soon it will be delivered there? I was very surprised at his question (it really does not understand where he arrived?), That she explained, he was also surprised and so, surprised, we went away.

When I told the evening about our conversation in the evening, she was fixed: "Isn't it Kirsnight, what corresponded to Eisenstein and met him in New York? Find out!" It turned out that the same - the patron of the arts and the sign of the arts, the author of several books on the ballet. Hearing Madame Eisenstein, he wanted to see her. I drove for Kirstayin, brought him to the pen, they were very joyful. I remember that we drank a strong tea with milk, with a cranberry in Sahara, Kirstine was interested in told about Eisenstein in America, a lot clarified and, for his part, asked Peru and me. Feather, playing me on the hand, brought the conversation to the ballet and here I put all the points above I. Along with her, we bowed it to shooting without any currency, which in those days none of us did not see in the eyes. And the ministry was surprised that everything was so peacefully settled.

Kirstine and the pen really liked each other, made friends and subsequently corresponded, and Kirstine even composed the poem in her honor, hershed her on the beer of some beast and sent to Moscow with the fodder. But the poem before the feat has never reached, among foreigners there are also optional razgildy.

Every ballet Balanchine I saw in many meters once, I especially liked the "prodigal son", "Agon", "Crystal Palace". And although the Balanchinsky ballet was considered a ballet directorial, where the soloists suppress their individuality in favor of the ensemble, "yet the bright and amazing artistry of Allegra Kent and Eduard Willela made his way through Dictate Balanchina and conquered Muscovites. VILLEL had a rude success in the "Prodigal Son", which we saw for the first time. It was also delivered for Lifery, with the scenery of the RUO. With a relatively small growth, Edward Villela was folded perfectly and danced virtuoso. Seducting his siren was a little more than two heads, she was wound on his chest and slowly - the ring was slipped along his body to the floor. We have not seen this yet.

In the "agona" of the Stravian allegra, Kent came out with a lot of dancers in black bathing suits, herself dressed in the same way, but in two minutes the eyes of the balletomanians immediately distinguished them and have already followed only for her, although before that he did not even hear her name. She had something from the young Ulanova. The ideal school, first-class technique, some kind of exciting tartness of adagio and the amazing feeling of the posture was remembered for many years.

One day, when in the break between rehearsals, we drank tea in the buffet, Balanchine asked, from where you can send a telegram to Paris. Well, it's easier, these are not flowers in Helsinki. He was explained and even aroused immediately send. He sketched the text on a paper napkin and said that it was Kshesin. "Today I will definitely congratulate Motu." God, for us then Kshesinskaya was behind the seven seals, quite in another era and send her a telegram - I don't care what to send her Dantesu ... We began to ask, he spoke of her very respectful, but I dares a little: "Everyone knew that the score from the hat They brought each time the prince did not find himself at home and the guest was to consider it for honor to pay it. "

Before leaving the troupe in Baku Balanchine arrived at the studio, watched the material and remained dissatisfied with some of the dancers. Who? "I will not say, otherwise you cut them out." In general, he was flattered that his theater was made by the film. He would know, in which meat grinder the picture came shortly after his departure!

We finished mounted, and I invited Olga Vasilyevna Lepheshinskaya for comment. Already made the first sketches of the text - professional, strict and somewhat enthusiastic, as the trouble suddenly broke out: Khrushchev in the Manege pounced on abstraction artists. The guide was fluttered and we demanded that we critically reacted to the choreography Balanchine - in his repertoire a lot of excreted ballets. What are they better dissident painting of abstractionists that all newspapers have rejoiced? In short, if we do not fit critically to the performances of Americans (read: do not rub them), then the paintings will not. And we really wanted her to be!

And here we became carefully, but pretty sour and somehow more ambiguously relent something about dissavory and what it is, they say not that we are accustomed to see, and it is still unknown, what is better, and that artists, they say well trained, But if it were Russian school ... and the like kale-Mal. I and Olga Vasilyevna humbled himself, kneading on her own song. To wrap, though, did not wrap, but we could not say anything particularly good.

And the picture came out. Ballet lovers, fortunately, did not listen that we were there, but looked the dance - large fragments of eight productions Balanchine.

Including from criminal unustool.