This week, the Lincoln Center Festival will celebrate the 50th anniversary of acclaimed dance masterpiece Jewels— a three-act ballet created by famed choreographer George Balanchine for the New York City Ballet. The three acts are inspired by precious gems: emeralds, rubies, and diamonds.
For the anniversary, three international companies — the Bolshoi Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet and the New York City Ballet — will each perform one act in the same theater where Jewels premiered in 1967.
"It's not very often you get the Paris Opera, the Bolshoi and the New York City Ballet performing in one place at the same time," said Marina Harss who wrote about this unique performance for the New York Times. She spoke with WNYC’s Richard Hake.
Harss said that since the ballet's premier, people have talked about it being representative of the different ballet styles associated with different countries. "So having a Russian company, a French company, and an American company makes sense."
While the Bolshoi is New York, the company will also perform a new work based on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew."
Lincoln Center isn't the only place featuring ballet in July. Downtown at the Joyce Theater, an entire "Ballet Festival" is underway which highlights young choreographers. This year four of the five choreographers are women.
"Each of the different choreographers has a kind of different approach, so if you can watch the whole thing, you're kind of getting a snapshot of what's happening in the up-and-coming ballet world," said Harss.
To hear the full interview, click on "Listen."
Jewels at the David H. Koch Theater, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, July 20-23, 2017.
Taming of the Shrew at the David H. Koch Theater, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, July 26-30, 2017.
Ballet Festival at the Joyce Theater, July 18-29, 2017.