Biographie

His 1954 staging of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" is probably his most famous work. It is the version most responsible for making the complete ballet an annual Christmas tradition throughout the United States. It has been performed in New York City annually since 1954,and still continues its run there - and in 1965, Atlanta, Ga. was one of the first cities outside New York to be granted the rights to perform the Balanchine version. It has also been filmed.

Quit dancing in his prime to choreograph.

The co-founder of the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, he choreographed more than 80 works with his NYCB company.

Two of his wives played the same role in different productions of Rodgers and Hart's musical "On Your Toes", and both danced the ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" in it. Tamara Geva appeared in the 1936 original Broadway production, in which her leading man was Ray Bolger, best known for playing "The Scarecrow" in the iconic 1939 film Le Magicien d'Oz (1939). Vera Zorina appeared in the 1939 film version of "On Your Toes", and her leading man was Eddie Albert, who later starred in the hit television series Les arpents verts (1965). The film version, however, dropped all the songs, although it kept the ballet music.

Son of Georgian composer Meliton Balanchivadze. Brother of Georgian composer Andrei Balanchivadze.

"Ballet is Woman. In sports, it's Mickey Mantle. In politics, it's Eisenhower. In ballet, it's woman. Women are lighter, more flexible. They move more beautifully. He is not the King, but she's the Queen".

Retire? You mean will I die?

(To some lackluster dancers in his studio): "Why are you stingy with yourselves? Why are you holding back? What are you saving for-for another time? There are no other times. There is only now. Right now".

I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.

First comes the sweat. Then comes the beauty if you're very lucky and have said your prayers.