The 4 Life Lessons Balanchine Taught His Male Dancers
After 50 years, George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet male dancers—Jacques d’Amboise, Edward Villella and Arthur Mitchell—were reunited. The one-night-only event at the National Dance Institute in New York City (founded by d’Amboise in 1976) provided a rare glimpse of what it was like to work with Mr. B. during ballet’s golden years at NYCB.
The three men, all in their early 80s, discussed everything from their ballet beginnings: Villella being dragged with his sister to class, to dancing with “Balanchine’s gals” (as d’Amboise referred to them), several of whom were in attendance, including Patricia McBride and Suki Schorer. Sprinkled throughout the discussion was video footage of the three men performing memorable roles choreographed by Balanchine. Current NYCB members Joaquin de Luz, Sterling Hyltin, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Teresa Reichlen, Daniel Ulbricht and Ask La Cour Rasmussen also performed live excerpts from Prodigal Son, Agon, Apollo and Tarantella.
From the trio’s perspective, it was clear that not only did Balanchine teach his iconic style and choreography to his NYCB dancers, he passed along life lessons that transcended dance.
