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American Contemporary Ballet presents 'Sapphires'

American Contemporary Ballet presents 'Sapphires'George Balanchine intended -- but never staged -- a fourth act to his groundbreaking ballet "Jewels."  This June ACB premieres "Sapphires", an imagining of the lost 'Jewel.'

Classical beauty. Sheer glamour. For 12 nights only, enter another world.


PREMIERING JUNE 6: THE JEWEL THAT ALMOST WAS ACB imagines a finale to Balanchine’s iconic ballet.

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: Emeralds, to the music of Gabriel Fauré, Rubies, to the music of Igor Stravinsky, and Diamonds, 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.

Sapphires will be danced to Schoenberg’s “Suite for Strings in G Major”, played live by ACB’s largest music ensemble yet. Composed in 1934, it was the first piece Schoenberg wrote in America after fleeing the Nazi regime in Germany. The score’s LA Phil premiere caused his critics to do a double take the richly melodic piece was far from the “atonal” works for which he’d become famous.

“The ballet was never really about jewels. Or it was, but the ‘jewels’ were really the dancers. It was an ingenious device using color to provide a three-act structure for what was always Balanchine’s true subject – the exaltation of feminine beauty,” said ACB Director Lincoln Jones. “While Sapphires’ subject is the same, it’s an opportunity to walk through a choreographic dreamworld and see what the dream looks like when it turns blue.”

Sapphires will be presented with excerpts from La Source, a rarely seen Balanchine work to the music of Léo Delibes.

American Contemporary Ballet presents Sapphires: June 6 – 29
*Opening night champagne reception

Presenter / Producer: American Contemporary Ballet

Listed Categories
Dance > Ballet


Event Phone: 213-304-3408

Venue
American Contemporary Ballet
333 S. Hope St.
Suite C-150
Los Angeles CA 90071

Regions:
LA - Central / Downtown


Performance Dates: 6/6/2024 - 6/29/2024
Thursday, 06/06/2024
Friday, 06/07/2024
Saturday, 06/08/2024
Thursday, 06/13/2024
Friday, 06/14/2024
Saturday, 06/15/2024
Friday, 06/21/2024
Saturday, 06/22/2024
Thursday, 06/27/2024
Friday, 06/28/2024
Saturday, 06/29/2024

Performance Times
8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Ticket Information:
$60 - $140

Web Link for ticketing

Websites:
Event Information

Social Media or other Links:
https://www.instagram.com/americancontemporaryballet/


 

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