Fifty years after its premiere at Lincoln Center, three of the world’s most celebrated ballet companies come together for a once-in-a-lifetime presentation of George Balanchine’s masterpiece, Jewels.
For five performances on the same stage where it was premiered, the Paris Opera Ballet embodies Emeralds. New York City Ballet and the Bolshoi alternate Rubies and Diamonds, illuminating the different facets of Balanchine’s masterpiece like the sun catching on one of its namesake gems.
The three-part, evening-length work traces Balanchine’s life and loves. Emeralds, set to Fauré, evokes the mystery and grace of France. Fueled by Stravinsky, Rubies crackles with jazz-inflected wit and sass, channeling the mid-century audacity of Manhattan. And breathtaking from the moment the lights go up, Diamonds conjures the grandeur of Imperial Russia, set to Tchaikovsky’s lush Third Symphony.
Part of Lincoln Center Festival 2017
