Thrill to the scintillating ballet Jewels – a masterpiece by George Balanchine.

The music sets the mood when George Balanchine blasts opens his treasure chest to showcase the crystalline facets of classical ballet as represented by three gemstones: emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

Balanchine once described how, on his daily walks down Fifth Avenue in New York, he would often stop to gaze at the displays of one of the street’s most exclusive jewellers. Here, he was fascinated by “a window with diamonds, one with emeralds, and one with rubies, and in the middle of each group a tiara was displayed, just as at the tsar’s court.”

Thus, the idea for a ballet about the three jewels was born.

Balanchine uses the gemstones to introduce us to three different chapters in the history of dance. Equally, these also represent the three most important stages of his life and career – from his childhood in Russia and his youth in France to his new life in the United States.

The green Emeralds set to music by Fauré is a tribute to the romantic French ballet tradition of the nineteenth century – lyrical with a hint of melancholy. The red Ruby is set to Stravinsky’s score that draws on the energy of American jazz, razor-sharp and dynamic. And finally, The white Diamonds accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s music, representing a declaration of love for the heyday of imperial ballet – masterful, elegant and lavish.

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."