In just over a decade, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet evolved from an educational program of the Kennedy Center to a highly lauded company before it ceased operations in 2017. One of Balanchine’s most famous muses, Farrell herself danced at the Pillow in 1976, performing two Balanchine pas de deux with Peter Martins. Her company boasted a repertory of more than fifty works, including such rarities as the duet seen here, a light-hearted excursion into Balanchine’s easygoing, hip-swaying American soul. The music was composed for the great Benny Goodman, who performed the solo part at the ballet’s 1964 premiere. This section of the ballet, known as the “Contrapuntal Blues pas de deux,” was originally danced by Suzanne Farrell and Anthony Blum, and it was restaged as part of the company’s Balanchine Preservation Initiative.
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