1904–1983

A dance choreographer, George Balanchine created a new style of ballet, emphasizing quick, precise, and heightened movements, while still utilizing a full repertoire of classical techniques. He helped found the New York City Ballet in 1948, and over the next thirty–five years he created and choreographed works from The Nutcracker (1954) to Violin Concerto (1972). As Ballet Master, he trained many of New York’s most important dancers in the 1970s and 1980, including Suzanne Farell, Jacque d’Amboise, Peter Martin, and Melissa Hayden.