''Jewels'' is a three-act ballet created for the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company ...

by co-founder and founding choreographer

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

. It premièred on Thursday, 13 April 1967 at the

New York State Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Original ...

, with sets designed by Peter Harvey and lighting by Ronald Bates. ''Jewels'' has been called the first full-length abstract ballet. It has three related movements: '' Emeralds'', '' Rubies'', and ''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

'' (usually separated by intermissions). It can also be seen as three separate ballets, linked by their jewel-colored costumes. Balanchine commented: "The ballet had nothing to do with jewels. The dancers are just dressed like jewels." Each of the three acts features the music of a different composer: ''Emeralds'' is set to the music of

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...

, ''Rubies'' to the music of

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

and ''Diamonds'' to music by

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

Costumes

The costumes were created by Balanchine's long-time collaborator

Barbara Karinska Varvara Jmoudsky, better known as Barbara Karinska or simply Karinska (October 3, 1886 – October 18, 1983), was the Oscar-winning costumier of cinema, ballet, musical and dramatic theatre, lyric opera and ice spectacles. Over her 50 year caree ...

, who created a distinct look for each different act: romantic, calf-length tulle skirts for ''Emeralds'', fabric that flared at the hips of both men and women in ''Rubies'', and the flat, classical tutu of the Imperial Russian Ballet for ''Diamonds''. The costumes were such finely crafted pieces of art in their own right that some of them have been exhibited in museums and in theatre lobbies. Even Claude Arpels of Van Cleef & Arpels, who suggested the idea of a ballet based on gems to the choreographer, was impressed with her attention to finding the finest trim that would accurately represent the true glitter of genuine gemstones. Additionally, Karinska's painstaking work is credited with making the costumes last despite the sweat and strain of dancing in them. Her designs, needlework and choice in fabrics made them both durable and danceable, illustrating that the bodies inside the costumes were deserving of her utmost respect. When questioned about her attention to her almost extravagant detail she replied, "I sew for girls and boys who make my costumes dance; their bodies deserve my clothes."

Music

Emeralds

* extracts from

's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' (1898) and ''

Shylock Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the ...

'' (1889). ** average length 31 mins.

Rubies

* Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by

. ** average length 19 mins.

Diamonds

* Movements 2, 3, 4 and 5 from Symphony No. 3 in D major (1875) by

** average length 31 mins.

Casts

Original

At the premiere in Spring 1967, Mimi Paul danced the parts of Sicilienne variation and the Nocturne ("walking")

pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux (French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well- ...

in ''Emeralds''. Paul later went on to coach other dancers in the part, including Sara Mearns. :: ''Emeralds'' *

Violette Verdy Violette Verdy (born Nelly Armande Guillerm; 1 December 1933 – 8 February 2016) was a French ballerina, choreographer, teacher, and writer who worked as a dance company director with the Paris Opera Ballet in France and the Boston Ballet in t ...

* Mimi Paul * Sara Leland *

Suki Schorer Suki Schorer is an American ballet dancer, ballet mistress, teacher, and writer. She danced with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet from 1959 to 1972. Suki Schorer teaches at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New Y ...

* 10 additional women * Conrad Ludlow * Francisco Moncion * John Prinz :: ''Rubies'' * Patricia McBride * Patricia Neary *

Edward Villella Edward Villella (born October 1, 1936) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. He is frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer of ballet at the time. He has won numerous awards, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Out ...

* 8 additional women * 4 additional men :: ''Diamonds'' *

Suzanne Farrell Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an American ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Farrell began her ballet training at the age of eight. In 1960, she received a scholarship ...

* Jacques d'Amboise * 4 demi-soloist couples * 12 additional women * 12 additional men

Stagings (other than NYCB)

* 1974 Paris Opera BalletGarnier * 1977 Dutch National Ballet * 1980 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens * 1980 Zurich BalletBallett des Opernhauses Zurich * 1981 Chicago City Balletclosed * 1982 Ballett der Deutschen StaatsoperEast Berlin * 1982

Los Angeles Ballet Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) is a classical ballet company based in Los Angeles. While rehearsals take place at the Los Angeles Ballet Center, the company tours venues across LA County, such as the Dolby Theatre and Royce Hall, during its performanc ...

* 1985 Ballet de l'Opera du RhinStrasbourg, France * 1985 Royal Danish Ballet * 1986

Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. ...

* 1986

Pennsylvania Ballet The Philadelphia Ballet, formerly known as Pennsylvania Ballet until rebranding in 2021, is Philadelphia's largest ballet company. The company's annual local season features six programs of classic favorites, as well as new works, including the Ph ...

* 1986 Ballet de l'Opera du Rhin * 1986 Dutch National Ballet * 1987 Ballet of Flanders Koninklijk Ballet Van Vlaanderen/Royal Flemish Ballet * 1987 The Chautauqua InstitutionNew York * 1987

San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Fra ...

* 1987

Texas Ballet The Texas Ballet Theater was founded by Margo Dean in 1961 as the Fort Worth Ballet Association, in Fort Worth, Texas. At the invitation of Dean, Fernando Schaffenburg was invited to direct the company the following year. It became a fully professi ...

formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet * 1988 Ballet du NordFrance * 1988

Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...

* 1988 PACT BalletPerforming Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa * 1988 Boston Ballet * 1988 Royal Danish Ballet * 1989 Louisville Ballet * 1989 Royal Ballet, London * 1990 Ballet de San Juan * 1990 Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo * 1990 Ballet du Nord * 1990 Ballett der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin * 1990 PACT Ballet * 1990 Paris Opera Ballet * 1991 Ballet Chicago * 1991 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 1991 San Francisco Ballet * 1991 Texas Ballet * 1992 Ballett der Deutschen OperBerlin * 1992

Miami City Ballet Miami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida, led by artistic director Lourdes Lopez. MCB was founded in 1985 by Toby Lerner Ansin, a Miami philanthropist. Ansin and the founding board hired Edward Villella, ...

* 1992 Miami City Ballet * 1992 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1993 Finnish National Ballet * 1993 Sacramento Ballet * 1993 Ballet du Nord * 1994

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Corpo do Ballo del Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy * 1994 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1994 Louisville Ballet * 1994 Miami City Ballet * 1994 Miami City Ballet * 1994 PACT Ballet * 1994 Texas Ballet * 1995 American Repertory Ballet * 1995 Kansas City Ballet * 1995 Miami City Ballet * 1995 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 1996 Asami Maki BalletJapan * 1996

Cincinnati Ballet The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States and had its first performance in 1964. The current artistic director is Victoria Morgan. Founding Organizing founders Nancy Bauer, Virgini ...

* 1996 Colorado Ballet * 1996

North Carolina Dance Theatre Charlotte Ballet is the oldest professional ballet company in North Carolina. It was founded as North Carolina Dance Theatre in Winston-Salem by Robert Lindgren, who was then Dean of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, ...

* 1996 Miami City Ballet * 1996 Paris Opera Ballet * 1996 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1996 Texas Ballet * 1997 Ballet Arizona * 1997 Milwaukee Ballet * 1997 Dutch National Ballet * 1997 Miami City Ballet * 1997 Miami City Ballet * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 1997 San Francisco Ballet * 1997 Texas Ballet * 1998

Alberta Ballet Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edm ...

* 1998 Hartford Ballet * 1998 San Diego Ballet * 1998 Singapore Dance Theatre * 1998 PACT Ballet * 1998 Texas Ballet * 1999

Ballet Austin Ballet Austin is the 12th largest classical ballet company in the US, and also operates the largest combined training facility associated with a professional ballet company in the United States. Each year the Ballet Austin company performs ball ...

* 1999 Carolina Ballet * 1999

Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Rus ...

* 1999 Cincinnati Ballet * 1999 Paris Opera Ballet * 1999 Pennsylvania Ballet * 1999 Royal Danish Ballet * 1999 Sacramento Ballet * 2000 National Ballet of Canada * 2000 Royal Winnipeg Ballet * 2000 Dutch National Ballet * 2000 Paris Opera Ballet * 2000 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre * 2001

Ballet National de Marseille The Ballet National de Marseille is a dance company based in Marseille, France. The company combines modern dance and classical ballet. Overview The Ballet National de Marseille was founded by the dancer and choreographer Roland Petit in 1972. ...

* 2001 Ballet NY * 2002 Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse * 2002 Kirov Ballet John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsMetropolitan Opera Association * 2002 Paris Opera Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 San Francisco Ballet * 2002 Texas Ballet * 2003

BalletMet BalletMet is an American ballet company and academy based in Columbus, Ohio. Located in downtown Columbus, BalletMet facilities include a black box theatre performance space, seven dance studios, administrative offices and costume and scene shops ...

Columbus, Ohio * 2003

Oregon Ballet Theatre Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is a ballet company in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company performs an annual five-program season at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and conducts regional and national tours. It was featured in t ...

* 2003 Washington Ballet * 2003 Cincinnati Ballet * 2003 Milwaukee Ballet * 2003 National Ballet of Canada * 2003 Paris Opera Ballet * 2003 Zurich Ballet * 2004

Cape Town City Ballet The Cape Town City Ballet Company, formerly known as the CAPAB Ballet Company, is a dance company based in Cape Town, South Africa. History The Cape Town City Ballet originated from the UCT Ballet Company, which was established by Dulcie How ...

* 2004 Boston Ballet * 2004 Colorado Ballet * 2004 Finnish National Ballet * 2004 La Scala * 2004 Louisville Ballet * 2004 Paris Opera Ballet * 2004 Sacramento Ballet * 2005

Scottish National Ballet Scottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the five leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Northern Ballet. Founded in 1969, ...

* 2005

Suzanne Farrell Ballet The Suzanne Farrell Ballet is a ballet company housed at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., and founded in 2000 by Suzanne Farrell, one of George Balanchine's most celebrated ballerinas, and a former New York City Ballet principal dancer. U ...

* 2005 Teatro Colón * 2005 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 2006 Chamberlain Ballet * 2006

Hamburg Ballet The Hamburg Ballet is a ballet company based in Hamburg, Germany. Since 1973, it has been directed by the American dancer and choreographer John Neumeier. In addition there is a ballet school, , established in 1978. The performances of the Hamb ...

* 2006 Alberta Ballet * 2006 City Ballet of San Diego * 2006 Dutch National Ballet * 2006 Kirov Ballet * 2006 Pacific Northwest Ballet * 2006 San Francisco Ballet * 2007 Festival Ballet * 2007 Ballet Arizona ''Rubies'' * 2007 Los Angeles Ballet * 2007 Paris Opera Ballet * 2007 Royal Ballet, London * 2008 Charleston Ballet Theatre * 2008

Hong Kong Ballet The Hong Kong Ballet () is a classical ballet company founded in 1979. History The company was created in 1979. Since 1997, The Hong Kong Ballet has concluded more than 30 tours to 10 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia. I ...

* 2008

Nevada Ballet Theatre Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) is a regional ballet company located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the Resident Ballet Company of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and is one of the largest performing arts organizations in the sta ...

* 2008 Los Angeles Ballet * 2008 National Ballet of Canada * 2008 Paris Opera Ballet * 2008 Royal Ballet, London * 2008 Suzanne Farrell Ballet ''Diamonds'' * 2009 Scottish National Ballet * 2011 Ballet Dortmund * 2011 Semperoper Ballett * 2011 La Scala * 2011 Royal Ballet, London * 2012 Ballet West, Utah * 2012 Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow * 2012 The University of Arizona * 2013 Royal Ballet, London * 201
Oklahoma City Ballet
* 2014 La Scala * 201
Boston Ballet
* 201
Pacific Northwest Ballet
* 2015 Suzanne Farrell Ballet ''Emeralds'' * 201
Het Nationale Ballet, Amsterdam
* 2016 The Sarasota Ballet * 2017 Royal Ballet, London * 2017 Lincoln Center Festival (Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet) * 2018 Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) * 2018 Ballet West, Utah * 2018 Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia * 2019–2020 Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna * 2022 Miami City Ballet * 2022 Royal Danish Ballet

Excerpts

Venues

Companies

Quotes

"It is open to doubt whether even George Balanchine has ever created a work in which the inspiration was so sustained, the invention so imaginative or the concept so magnificent as in the three-act ballet that had its world première at the New York State Theater last night."

Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, '' The New York Post.'' Barnes had sig ...

Awards

In 2008, the Royal Ballet won two

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

s for their company premiere of ''Jewels'' at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, featuring new scenic designs by Jean-Marc Puissant, original costume designs by Barbara Karinska, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This was the first performance of the full-length ballet by the company, picking up the awards for Best New Dance Production and Outstanding Achievement in Dance. The Olivier Awards are the highest honour in professional British theatre and are equivalent to Broadway's

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

Recordings

DVD

* ''Balanchine – Jewels'' by the Paris Opera Ballet (2000). With Aurelie Dupont, Alessio Carbone, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Agnes Letestu, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Clairemarie Osta and Kader Belarbi. * ''Choreography by Balanchine'' by the New York City Ballet (1979). With

and Merrill Ashley. * ''Jewels'' by the

(2011). With Irina Golub,

Uliana Lopatkina Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina (russian: Ульяна Вячеславовна Лопаткина; born 23 October 1973) is a Russian prima ballerina who performed with the Mariinsky Theatre from 1991–2017. She studied at the Vaganova Acad ...

, Igor Zelensky, Andrian Fadeyev, Zhanna Ayupova

Other

In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts,

released recordings of ''Rubies'' and ''Diamond''. ''Rubies'' featured

Megan Fairchild Megan Fairchild (born October 23, 1984) is an American ballet dancer. She is currently a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began her dance training at the age of four, stu ...

, Gonzalo Garcia and Mira Nadon, and was the latter's debut. ''Diamond'' starred Sara Mearns and

Russell Janzen This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Devin Albe ...

. Both ''Rubies'' and ''Diamond'' are recorded in 2019. The Royal Danish Ballet released a video of ''Emerald'', featuring Amy Watson, Jonathan Chmelensky, Susanne Grinder and Marcin Kupinski.

References

Bibliography

* ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's p ...

'', NYCB, Wednesday, January 2, 2008 * ''

'', NYCB, Saturday, May 31, 2008 * ''

'', NYCB, Saturday, June 7, 2008 * ''Repertory Week'', NYCB, Winter season, 2008 repertory, week 1
NY Times, Monday, April 17, 1967, by Clive Barnes (critic), Clive Barnes

* [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A10FB385F16738DDDA90B94DC405B878AF1D3 Sunday NY Times, April 30, 1967, by Richard F. Shepard]
NY Times, Saturday, July 8, 1967, by Don McDonagh

External links

Jewels
on the website of the ''

Balanchine Trust George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewels (Ballet) 1967 ballet premieres Ballets by George Balanchine Ballets to the music of Gabriel Fauré Ballets to the music of Igor Stravinsky Ballets to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Ballets designed by Barbara Karinska Ballets designed by Peter Harvey Ballets designed by Ronald Bates New York City Ballet repertory