A MESSAGE FROM Nina Ananiashvili

Artistic Director of the State Ballet of Georgia

It is a real happiness to both perform and watch George Balanchine’s ballets.

I remember, like a dream, the 1972 tour of his brilliant New York City Ballet here in Tbilisi. Thanks to some inexplicable miracle (I can find no other word to describe this heroic act!), my father managed to get tickets for one of their shows.

It was another moment of ethereal joy when Andris Liepa and I were granted the permission to accept the invitation of Balanchine’s company and spend January and February of 1988 with the New York City Ballet (without being accompanied by plain-clothes “art critics!”). Dancing Raymonda Variations, Symphony in C, Apollo, and experiencing the intoxicating sense of freedom— those were our greatest achievements.

Had Balanchine not passed away in 1983, I would not have returned to Moscow. In 1997 and 1998, as a result of a “secret operation” by my humble self and Alexey Fadeechev, the Bolshoi Ballet introduced the premiere of Mozartiana, Agon, and Symphony in C. Eyes of all dancers were shining like it was their first appearance on the famous stage. The critics and the audience saw the Bolshoi stars and the corps de ballet alike from a very different angle, while the main cause of the triumph was obviously Balanchine’s choreography and the tireless work carried out by Suzanne Farrell and John Taras.

Upon my return to Tbilisi, I set out to receive licenses for Balanchine ballets because his outstanding choreography truly makes dancers better. His works are, for them, what the classical

Greek architecture is for modern architects—you can argue or agree with it, but ignorance towards it will make your work irrelevant. Balanchine’s choreography is the universal language, without which you cannot dance 20th and 21st century ballets.

Our theater’s repertoire includes 12 Balanchine ballets since 2005: Serenade, Apollo, Western Symphony, Mozartiana, Chaconne, Donizetti Variations, Tarantella, Bugaku, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Duo Concertant, Concerto Barocco, and Symphony in C. This has been made possible thanks to the Balanchine Trust, which gave us the right to dance Mr. B’s masterpieces. Special thanks to the Embassy of the United States of America in Tbilisi for their continued support over the years with the implementation of the Balanchine Projects, including the 2014 celebrations surrounding the 110th anniversary of Mr. B’s birth.

In July 2021, during the difficult period of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the help of the U.S. Embassy, we are again able to host an evening of George Balanchine’s choreography and revive his ballets, for which I would like to thank the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Her Excellency Kelly C. Degnan.

Our thanks also go to all individuals, companies, and organizations that have assisted us with this project—the Ministry of Culture of Georgia and the Friends of the Georgian Ballet, who have been supporting us for 15 seasons now. Their work has enabled the State Ballet of Georgia and the Georgian audience to say again: “Welcome back home, Mr. B!”

The ballets of George Balanchine are presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and have been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style© and Balanchine Technique© service standards established and provided by the Trust.