American Contemporary Ballet presents Sapphires

In 1967, George Balanchine revolutionized ballet. From an idea suggested by jeweler Claude Arpels of Van Cleef and Arpels he created the first full-length plotless ballet. Its theme was simple and beautiful – jewels. Its three acts were ‘Emeralds’, to the music of Gabriel Fauré; ‘Rubies’, to the music of Igor Stravinsky; and ‘Diamond’s, to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

But Balanchine originally intended – though never staged – a fourth act: ‘Sapphires’, to the music of 20th-century giant Arnold Schoenberg. For the 2024 worldwide celebration of Schoenberg's 150th birthday, ACB imagines what this jewel might have looked like, including costumes inspired by the originals created for ‘Jewels’ by Barbara Karinska – some of the most gorgeous ever designed for a ballet. Classical beauty. Sheer glamour. For 12 nights only, enter another world.

Presented with excerpts from Balanchine's ‘La Source’. Opening night champagne reception.

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