Balanchine's artistry a natural fit for Ballet West

George Balanchine was a Russian immigrant who was raised in Riga, Latvia, and had his formal dance training in St. Petersburg.

He became a choreographer in France with the Ballet Russes and then came to America, where he founded the New York City Ballet. He became an U.S. citizen in 1939.

Ballet West artistic director Adam Sklute wanted to present the works of Balanchine, who is known as one of the 20th century's foremost choreographers, in the company's upcoming night of repertoire, "Balanchine's America."

Sklute chose "Serenade" (1935), "Agon" (1957) and "Stars & Stripes" (1958).

"I wanted to explore Balanchine's whole feeling as an American and how it came out in his artistry and his productions," Sklute said during an interview at a rehearsal break. "And I felt these three ballets really showed the scope of his choreography, particularly as it was when he was coming in his own as an American."

Sklute chose these particular works because they show different facets of Balanchine.

" 'Serenade' was the first work he created on American soil," he said. "And (it) is in many ways probably his most romantic work."

Sklute said the work shows Balanchine's genius, because he would incorporate certain aspects of real-life rehearsals into the final product.

"Sometimes he had five or 17 people at a time," he said. "Sometimes he had a man or sometimes there were only women who showed up. In one rehearsal someone fell down or someone came in late or someone's hair fell down.

"He incorporated all of this into the ballet, but his genius comes in the fact that nothing looks like he's put something on.

It all is so organic how one thing goes into the next. ('Serenade') was already showing the genius of this man's choreography."

The work was last performed by Ballet West in 2008 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

"It's such a beautiful ballet, and the company dances it so beautifully and has had so much praise for our work in it," he said. "It was time to revive it."

Speaking of revivals, the last time Ballet West danced "Stars & Stripes" was in 1981.