Jerome Robbins (New-York 1918 - New-York 1998)
A major figure in 20th century dance, American dancer, choreographer, theatre director and dance company director, Jerome Robbins’work is characterised by extreme musicality and a precision and finesse that can be adapted to all kinds of music, with an ironical or poetical way of diverting the traditional classical technique which nevertheless still remains the basis of his choreographic language. Born into a family of immigrant Russian Jews in New York, Jerome Robbins’education was an extremely comprehensive one comprising university studies, comprehensive dance training in classical, modern, Spanish and oriental dance, drama classes and piano and violin lessons. He made his stage debut as an actor in 1937 with the Yiddish Art Theater, then danced at the Gluck-Sandor Felicia Sorel Dance Center in 1939. He also made his first forays into choreography and performed in musicals, some of them choreographed by George Balanchine. In 1940 he joined Ballet Theatre and was a soloist there from 1941 to 1944. At this date, he enjoyed huge success with his first ballet, Fancy Free, which put him amongst the highest rated American creators and opened doors for him to Broadway and cinema. In 1948, he joined Balanchine at the New York City Ballet, remaining Assistant Director there until 1958. He danced there and affirmed his obvious choreographic gifts. Of all the works he produced during this period, it was West Side Story, made into a film in 1961, that enjoyed the most universal popular success. After leaving the New-York City Ballet in 1958, he established his own company, Ballets USA. The company then broke up before reforming in 1961. During that period he also staged several plays. In 1965, he choreographed for the American Ballet Theatre and collaborated with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet. Returning to the New-York City Ballet in 1969 as ballet master and associate choreographer, his time there was one of endless creation and he became one of the main driving forces behind the company. With Balanchine he organised the great festivals focused on Stravinsky (1972 and 1982), Ravel (1975) and Tchaikovsky (1981). In 1989-1990, he triumphantly presented Jerome Robbins Broadway in New York, a production composed of excerpts from the musicals on which he had collaborated. From the Goldberg Variations in 1971 to his last work Brandenburg in 1997, he was endlessly choreographing pieces of paramount importance for the New-York City Ballet. In 1994 he created for Mikhaïl Baryshnikov and produced West Side Story Suite.