Balanchine-Robbins’ ballet gears up to spark delicacy and vibrancy on La Scala’s stage 

AS JOHN Neumeier’s performances of La Dame aux Camélias drew to a close on 16 October, the famed Milanese dance company dove deep into the rehearsals for the final title of the ballet season: Balanchine-Robbins Triptych. 

From 8th to 20th November 2024, the show will pay homage to two trailblazers who have been a cornerstone in the world of dance: George Balanchine, with Theme and Variations and Jerome Robbins, with Dances at a Gathering that presents a beautiful ballet of great delicacy. The Concert, sparkling and witty in equal measure, will also be a fun piece for the audience.

Photograph: Brescia e Amisano ©

“For me it’s important to keep this kind of repertoire alight, and to take it further,” opines Manuel Legris, Director of La Scala’s Corps de Ballet. “I love giving as much information as possible to the dancers, as I also danced this back in the day, and all three ballets seem old but have so many refreshing aspects to them, likewise newness.” Legris reflects on how the ballet, despite being written decades back, is ever so modern. 

“If well rehearsed, it’s a great facet for the present day.” On its complexity, he speaks frankly. “The dancers are changing, and 2024 is not like 60 years ago; for sure the mentality and the work is different, but one needs to find the right approach to give them the sense of interpretation and sheer meaning.” 

Photograph: Brescia e Amisano ©

Three classics of the 20th century, iconic titles for an evening that celebrates two undisputed masters and their utter modernity. George Balanchine with Theme and Variations, which returns to the stage in a brand new guise, signed by Luisa Spinatelli. Focused development of ballet’s vernacular, this masterpiece of Balanchine’s purest style was born from the intent – as the author wrote, to evoke the grandiose period of classical ballet, which flourished in Russia with the help of Tchaikovsky’s music. 

This will instead be the first time at La Scala for two of Jerome Robbins’ best-known ballets, both based on piano pieces by Chopin: Dances at Gathering, a feast of pure dance, inspired by the musical fabric and its nuances, and The Concert, a unique, ironic and brilliant cross-section of human reverie and extravagance, of a series of characters attending a piano recital.

Photograph: Brescia e Amisano ©

The Balanchine-Robbins Triptych also marks the La Scala Ballet debut of Fayçal Karoui on the podium to conduct the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra. His extensive experience in ballet is reflected in his collaboration with the Hong Kong Ballet, and regularly at the Dutch National Ballet Amsterdam and the Vienna State Opera. Also making his debut was Leonardo Pierdomenico, who played the piano for Chopin in Jerome Robbins’ ballets not only in the pit but also on stage.

Showcasing a renewed look at three titles that are as much a part of history as their authors, this will stand as a reference point for the world of dance and the ballet world. 

by Chidozie Obasi