Join dancers of The Royal Ballet in the studio as they prepare for George Balanchine's Jewels. Find out more at www.roh.org.uk/jewels
TV and radio broadcaster Kirsten O’Brien will host the event, which will feature interviews and rehearsals with Artists of The Royal Ballet, ballet repetiteur Elyse Borne, and the American choreographer and director Patricia Neary. Neary, a former dancer with New York City Ballet, works for The George Balanchine Trust and alongside Borne is responsible for staging his works around the world.
Balanchine made history when he created Jewels - the first abstract three-act ballet. It was first performed in 1967 by New York City Ballet. The choreographer was reportedly inspired by the beauty of the precious stones he saw in Van Cleef & Arpels in New York.
Principals of The Royal Ballet Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae will rehearse a section of Act I, ‘Rubies’. Then, fellow Principals Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares will rehearse ‘Diamonds’.
Each section, featuring the music of Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky and Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, salutes a different era in classical ballet’s history as well as a distinct period in Balanchine’s own life. Through it all, Balanchine displays his genius for combining music with visionary choreography.
The insight also features an in-depth look at the ballet’s ornate costumes with costume supervisor Allan Watkins.