07:203:131 Study Guide - Final Guide: Finnish National Ballet, Classical Ballet, Bonfire
17 Aug 2016
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I. george balanchine: in 1917 during the russian revolution, the leading ruler, known as the tsar, abdicated his throne to the revolution led by the bolsheviks and the imperial ballet was closed. It was reopened a year later by the new commissioner of education, who had a lifelong love of ballet. Wide spread famine and poverty and by 1920 three million people had perished in russia due to war. Dancers burned sections of the wooden parquet floors to keep warm. Balanchine was a part time pianist in the silent theaters of russia while also training at the imperial ballet. Talented enough to be a concert pianist, he was more drawn to ballet. He began choreographing as a student but his works were not received well by his teachers. He quickly realized in order to advance as a choreographer he had to present own works.
