Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine and first performed by the New York City Ballet on January 17, 1958, at the City Center of Music and Drama in New York. It was conceived as a celebration of the United States, Balanchine's adopted country, and is dedicated to Fiorello La Guardia, the former mayor of New York City. Rather than presenting a conventional narrative, the work uses the visual and musical vocabulary of an American parade: marching formations, military gestures, majorette display, athletic jumps, high kicks, lifts, salutes, and a final flag-centered tableau. Balanchine was born and raised in Imperial Russia, developed his early career in Europe, moved to the United States in 1933, and became an American citizen in 1940. Stars and Stripes therefore expresses both patriotic admiration and the perspective of an immigrant artist interpreting American popular and ceremonial culture. The score draws principally on marches by John Philip Sousa, whose music was orchestrated for the ballet by Hershy Kay. Sousa's original brass-oriented sound was adapted for the stage, and the work also incorporates material beyond the familiar marches. Balanchine treated the result with deliberate theatricality and humor, describing the ballet as a kind of balletic parade and acknowledging its calculated showmanship. The ballet is divided into five sections called campaigns. The first two focus on female corps formations, including a baton-bearing leader and regimented patterns that evoke an idealized all-American majorette. The third is an all-male display emphasizing speed, difficult steps, flying stage crossings, and collective salutes. The fourth is a virtuoso pas de deux, set to music including The Liberty Bell and El Capitan, and structured around the conventions of the classical duet. The fifth reunites the dancers from the earlier sections for a large-scale finale to The Stars and Stripes Forever, with an American flag backdrop and a concluding lifted image of patriotic triumph. The work's identity depends heavily on its design. Karinska created the costumes, while David Hays designed the scenery. A black backdrop is used in much of the ballet, contrasting with the large United States flag that appears in the finale. The cast structure is unusually demanding: the complete ballet has been described as requiring 27 women and 14 men, with substantial technical and ensemble responsibilities for the corps de ballet. This scale, together with the choreography's difficulty, has made the piece less frequently programmed in some recent seasons than its iconic reputation might suggest. Stars and Stripes has nevertheless remained part of the American ballet repertory. It has been performed by companies including American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, BalletMet, Sarasota Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet San Jose, and City Ballet of San Diego, as well as by the School of American Ballet and other organizations. It has appeared at civic and national occasions, including the opening of the New York State Theater, an Olympics closing ceremony, and a surprise encore following the end of the Iran hostage crisis. Excerpts have also been filmed for television and used in popular culture, including the 2000 film Center Stage. Its combination of virtuoso dance, patriotic iconography, theatrical humor, and deliberately oversized spectacle continues to define its place in Balanchine's repertory.

Stars and Stripes emerged from George Balanchine's engagement with American identity after his immigration to the United States. Balanchine had been trained in Imperial Russia and had worked in Europe before moving to America in 1933. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1940, he increasingly incorporated American musical, theatrical, and popular references into his choreography. The ballet was conceived as an affectionate tribute to the country that had become his home, while also functioning as a playful theatrical experiment rather than a literal historical pageant. Balanchine selected music associated with John Philip Sousa, the leading American composer of military marches. Hershy Kay, who had previously orchestrated music for Balanchine's Western Symphony, adapted the brass-centered material for the ballet. The resulting score combines recognizable march energy with less expected musical material. Balanchine's explanation for using Sousa was characteristically direct: he liked the music and found that it made him feel good. Lincoln Kirstein, the New York City Ballet co-founder, described the work as a musical joke, a characterization that captures its mixture of patriotic display, parody, and genuine affection. The ballet was created with costumes by Karinska and scenery by David Hays. Its five sections, called campaigns, present different formations or regiments. The opening campaign introduces a group of women led by a baton-carrying majorette figure. The second expands the female corps into broader patterns. The third shifts to an all-male regiment whose dancers perform technically demanding crossings and soloistic steps. The fourth is a showpiece pas de deux, while the final campaign brings all the groups together beneath a large American flag. The premiere took place on January 17, 1958, at the City Center of Music and Drama. The original principal cast included Allegra Kent, Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden, Robert Barnett, and Jacques d'Amboise. The ballet was dedicated to Fiorello La Guardia. Its movement style deliberately amplifies parade conventions, including drilling, marching, drum-major gestures, salutes, high kicks, circus-like tricks, and elaborate lifts. Balanchine referred to it as a balletic parade and an applause-oriented work, recognizing that its theatrical scale was central to its effect. Stars and Stripes subsequently entered the repertory of multiple American ballet companies. It was presented at the opening of the New York State Theater in 1964 and appeared in the 1976 program Entente Cordiale with works representing Britain and France. Its finale was used for notable public events, including the 1984 Olympic closing ceremony and a 1981 surprise encore following the conclusion of the Iran hostage crisis. The work has also been recorded for television and referenced in film and parody. The ballet remains both celebrated and logistically demanding. Its full version requires a large ensemble and a corps capable of executing intricate formations with considerable precision. This has contributed to less frequent programming in some periods, but excerpts—especially the pas de deux and finale—remain effective in gala, ceremonial, educational, and repertory settings. Its lasting significance lies in the way it turns American symbols and musical clichés into a highly disciplined, technically exacting, and knowingly theatrical work.

• 1993

  Television documentation

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  The fourth and fifth campaigns were filmed for The Balanchine Celebration.

• 1984

  Olympic closing ceremony performance

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  Dance Theatre of Harlem performed the finale at the Los Angeles Olympic closing ceremony.

• 1981

  Iran hostage crisis encore

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  The finale was presented as a surprise encore after the hostage crisis ended, with yellow ribbons worn by the dancers.

• 1976

  Entente Cordiale program

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  The ballet was paired with Union Jack and Tricolore in the New York City Ballet program Entente Cordiale.

• 1964

  New York State Theater opening

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  The New York City Ballet performed the work in connection with the opening of the New York State Theater.

• 1958

  World premiere

  [1]Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org

  Stars and Stripes premiered on January 17 at the City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet.

A large-scale American patriotic ballet that combines neoclassical technique with parade spectacle, musical humor, and virtuoso performance.

• 1958First campaign: Corcoran Cadets

  United States

  The opening section introduces twelve women and a baton-bearing leader whose marching and display suggest an idealized American majorette.

  Outcome. Establishes the ballet's parade imagery and female corps vocabulary.

  Source
• 1958Second campaign: Rifle Regiments

  United States

  A female corps, cast with taller dancers, performs broad marching patterns and intricate formations.

  Outcome. Expands the regiment concept and increases the scale of the ensemble display.

  Source
• 1958Third campaign: Thunder and Gladiator

  United States

  An all-male group performs rapid crossings, demanding steps, and a climactic salute.

  Outcome. Provides the ballet's most concentrated male ensemble and virtuoso athleticism.

  Source
• 1958Fourth campaign: Liberty Bell and El Capitan

  United States

  A showpiece classical pas de deux uses bravura technique and lifts within the ballet's patriotic framework.

  Outcome. Became one of the work's most frequently excerpted sections.

  Source
• 1958Fifth campaign: The Stars and Stripes Forever

  United States · International ballet repertoire

  The earlier regiments return and join the pas de deux couple beneath a large American flag.

  Outcome. Concludes the ballet with its signature full-cast patriotic tableau.

  Source

• 1958

  Balanchine chooses Sousa-based music for a patriotic balletProduct launch

  Background

  Balanchine wanted to create a tribute to the United States using music strongly associated with American military and civic spectacle.

  Action taken

  He commissioned Hershy Kay to orchestrate Sousa material and structured the ballet as five parade-like campaigns.

  Aftermath

  The choice established the work's distinctive blend of patriotic symbolism, musical humor, and theatrical exaggeration.

  Source

1. 1Stars and Stripes (ballet)en.wikipedia.org