Balanchine’s Jewels: A Brilliant Ballet With No Title

On April 13, 1967, Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds premiered in the New York State Theatre by New York City Ballet. Each movement features its own unique characteristics that are defined by the music (each by a different composer), costuming, and altogether dynamic.

This three-part ballet quickly gained the attention of critics, and a name that stuck along with it. George Balanchine’s Jewels, as the ballet was henceforth known, went on to become one of the choreographer’s best-known works, as well as an American classic.

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The Origin of Balanchine’s Jewels

Jewels was not a concept that was developed overnight.

Balanchine put Le Palais de Cristal (later renamed Symphony in C) on the stage in 1947, planting the seed for Jewels twenty years later. Le Palais featured four movements: rubies, black diamonds, emeralds, and pearls, and is set to Georges Bizet’s Symphony in C, for which the ballet was later renamed. The ballet was performed by the Royal Opera Ballet, where Balanchine was a guest choreographer, as is said to have been developed in a mere two weeks.

Some twenty years later, inspiration struck yet again. After a visit to Van Cleef and Arpels in Paris, Balanchine saw a connection between the countries he loved, their involvement in the ballet world, and the jewel displays he saw before him.

He would go on to develop Emeralds for France, with its deep historical connection to ballet and classic, romantic culture displayed beautifully in the opening. Rubies was an homage to New York City, the city that represents The United States as a whole: flashy, bold, intense, and modern. Finally, Diamonds, meant as a look back for Balanchine at his youth in St. Petersburg, the mecca for all ballet dancers: sharp, somber, technically impeccable. Each costume portrayed each of these elements, perfectly chosen to correspond the place of heritage with their respective jewel.

The name for the ballet is credited to Clive Barnes, a critic who praised the ballet after its debut in the April 17, 1967 issue of The New York Times, referring to it as “The Jewels” multiple times throughout his piece, even stating that there was, “…no title on the program, but it has to be called something”.

Emeralds (Fauré)

The ballet’s first movement, Emeralds, was said by Balanchine to be, “an evocation of France – the France of elegance, comfort, dress, perfume”.

The piece was full of French influences, as an homage to the origin of classical ballet itself. Gabriel Fauré was the chosen composer for this piece, with selections from Pelléas et Melisande (1898) and Shylock (1889).

The dancers were costumed in elegant, classical, romantic length tutus made by Barbara Karinska, who was widely recognized for her costuming for Jewels. Her work was said to be extremely thoughtful as well as durable, making sure that the jewel-like quality of the costumes would not diminish over time and wear.

The piece featured fourteen women and three men, separated into multiple small dances throughout the movement; a characteristic that follows throughout each movement of the ballet.

In 1976, a second pas de deux as well as a pas de sept were added in by Balanchine.

Rubies (Stravinsky)

The second movement, Rubies, jolts the audience into a much jazzier and more intense ballet, choreographed to Igor Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929).

Stravinsky is known for many of his compositions for ballet, most notably his works for Diaghlev’s Ballet Russes. His music is sharp and quirky, much unlike the romantic music of Emeralds previously and the somber tones of Diamonds to follow.

The section features short skirts, similar to Petit’s Carmen costuming, and likely to invoke a similar feel. However, this moment certainly exhibits the New York portion of Balanchine’s life. This dance is sensual and intense, yet fun and flirty simultaneously. Rubies displays a pas de deux with a corps of women, as well as a pas de cinq with one ballerina and four men, all to partner her.

Diamonds (Tchaikovsky)

Lastly, Diamonds is the third and final movement of Balanchine’s Jewels.

Diamonds’ intense and chilling feeling is meant to reflect Balanchine’s childhood in St. Petersburg, where the young choreographer studied at the Imperial School and went on to perform with the Mariinsky Theatre.

The grandest of the movements, this dance has seventeen women and seventeen men and is set to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 (1875). The ballerinas were costumed in pancake tutus to personify the sharpness of the diamond jewel.