Directed by former New York City Ballet star Patricia Wilde at the time of this performance, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre had been founded in 1969 by Nicolas Petrov, who was succeeded by Patrick Franz. Wilde led the company for 15 years during which time she invigorated the dancers with her refined technique and the works of modern masters, including her mentor, George Balanchine. Among the 32 works she commissioned for the company was Ohad Naharin’s Tabula Rasa, which PBT premiered in 1986. Balanchine utilized this Glinka music on three different occasions starting in 1931, and Valse Fantaisie was originally the second section of a 1967 work entitled Glinkiana.
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