Serenade
The music of Tchaikovsky is partnered with sublime choreography in one of Balanchine’s earliest and best-loved works.
Photos
When to see it
Part of a mixed Programme, These works are performed together
Serenade / Sweet Violets / DGV
A mixed programme of exhilarating contrasts, from a dark Victorian melodrama to a celebration of hi-tech modernity.
Booking for 14 May 2014 - 26 May 2014 opens
- Booking opens 8 April 2014 at 10.00am for General Public.
- Booking opens 18 March 2014 at 10.00am for Friends of Covent Garden.
- Booking opens 28 February 2014 at 10.00am for Supporting Friends.
- Booking opens 26 February 2014 at 10.00am for Premium 1 Friends.
- Booking opens 25 February 2014 at 10.00am for Premium 2 Friends.
Introduction
This non-narrative ballet evokes a succession of shifting moods, taking its inspiration from the music, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.
Background
Serenade was the first ballet that George Balanchine made after arriving in the United States in 1933. It was created on students in his newly formed School of American Ballet and retains a hint of its classroom origins. The opening tableau – 17 dancers assembled in slanting lines – was determined by the number of students who came to the first class. When one girl arrived late and another fell and started to cry, Balanchine absorbed the incidents into his choreography.
Balanchine described Serenade as ‘dancers in motion to a beautiful piece of music’. The corps de ballet is in near-constant movement, flowing in and out of patterns with an extraordinary sense of speed. Although 80 years old, Serenade is one of Balanchine’s most popular works – as loved by audiences and dancers as it was by its creator. Balanchine continued to rework the ballet throughout his lifetime, and it is now regularly performed by companies around the world.
Credits
| Choreography | George Balanchine |
| Composer | Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky |
| Costume Designer | Barbara Karinska |
| Original lighting design | Ronald Bates |
Related links
- balanchine.com The George Balanchine Trust: Serenade
- online.wsj.com Serenade: 'The ballet that changed everything'
