Symphony in Three Movements (ballet)

Production#

Balanchine and Stravinsky had collaborated for many years until the latter’s death in 1971. As a tribute to the composer, Balanchine decided to have his company, the New York City Ballet, hold the weeklong Stravinsky Festival. The festival included 22 premieres, One of Stravinsky’s works chosen for the festival was Symphony in Three Movements, which was written during the Second World War for different aborted film projects, though he admitted it referenced the war. Balanchine’s assistant Barbara Hagan recalled Sara Leland, another original cast member and a newly promoted principal dancer, “was a quick learner”, while “Balanchine really struggled with Symphony with regard to tempos”, therefore Balanchine used Leland to demonstrate the steps to the corps de ballet.

Choreography#

The first movement begins with sixteen women in a diagonal line, before the six principal dancers and five soloist couples enter. Critic Zoe Anderson described, “Dancers leap on, followed by small entourages, or spin their way among the jogging corps.” Villella noted dancing to the first movement was “the biggest musical challenge I had ever faced”. Villella wrote, “The movement for everyone here is aggressive, mysterious and frightening.” The New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff noted, “Stravinsky’s allusion to an Allied victory in World War II is not to be taken literally. But the triumphant note is translated in the massed groupings on stage: Dancers frozen in semaphores and abstractions of warriors at the ready.”

Original cast#

The principal dancers at the premiere of Symphony in Three Movements were: *Sara Leland *Marnee Morris *Lynda Yourth *Helgi Tomasson *Edward Villella *Robert Weiss

Performances#

Symphony in Three Movements premiered on June 18, 1972, at the New York State Theater.

External links#

• Symphony in Three Movements on New York City Ballet’s website
• Symphony in Three Movements on George Balanchine Trust’s website