Choreographer George Balanchine was not only crazy about women – “Ballet is Woman” is one of his memorable quotes – but also about jewels. The two come together in masterly fashion in his Jewels. In this triptych, inspired by the most exclusive precious stones, the most important choreographer of the twentieth century pays tribute to women, in particular, and respectively to the French, American and Russian ballet styles.

Balanchine (1904 – 1983) got the idea for his jewels ballet when he walked past the windows of a jewelry house on Fifth Avenue one morning. The jewelers had set up “one window of diamonds, one of emeralds and one of rubies”, whereby “in the centre of each group, a beautiful diadem was displayed, just like at the court of the tsar”. “I was”, said Balanchine, “hypnotised on the spot”.

In 1967, the three types of gems served as the basis for three glittering ballets portraying different worlds and ballet traditions. Balanchine, who was familiar with each of them, as he grew up in St Petersburg, created his first works in France for the legendary Ballets Russes, and then gained world fame in the United States, as the leader of the company he founded there: New York City Ballet.

Jewels opens with the refined and elegant Emeralds; ‘an evocation of the France of elegance, comfort, dress and perfume’. Rubies, flashy and razor-sharp, shows the influence that dynamic American life had on Balanchine. And the noble Diamonds, to music by Tchaikovsky, refers to the splendour of the court of the Russian tsars and its affiliated Mariinsky Theatre, where Balanchine began his career.

First performed on 13 April 1967 in New York, Jewels represents the first full-length “abstract ballet” by George Balanchine. The three parts of the ballet, „Emeralds“ (to music by Gabriel Fauré), „Rubies“ (to music by Igor Stravinsky) and „Diamonds“ (to music by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky) are loosely connected by the idea of gems or jewels; a meeting with the jeweller Claude Arpels was a significant stimulus to Balanchine to create the work. Through the choice of the different composers, the ballet also forms a kind of geographical retrospective of the life of George Balanchine, who spent periods of time in France, the United States and Russia. Manuel Legris’ time as director is also closely connected with the work: after „Rubies“ (2010/2011) and „Diamonds“ (Pas de deux, 2017/2018), the complete work now appears on the programme as his period of office in Vienna draws to a close.

Jewels is a three-act ballet created for the New York City Ballet by co-founder and founding choreographer George Balanchine. It premièred on Thursday, 13 April 1967 at the New York State Theater, 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 (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, Rubies to the music of Igor Stravinsky and Diamonds to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Costumes

The costumes were created by Balanchine's long-time collaborator Barbara Karinska, 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."