Finding Inspiration in Balanchine's "Serenade"

I mentioned the ballet "Serenade" in class this week, as example of a ballet that includes simple, yet compellingly elegant choreography.  This ballet was created by the choreographer George Balanchine in 1934.  It was the first ballet he choreographed in the United States. Made shortly after his arrival to help establish the School of American Ballet, the work began essentially as a lesson for his students. Balanchine famously incorporated real events from those early classes, such as dancers arriving late or falling, directly into the choreography, making the ballet an organic product of its rehearsal process.

The ballet is set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, a lush four-movement score whose structure Balanchine followed closely. He treated the music as the primary narrative force, creating a ballet that has no literal story but instead unfolds as a series of emotionally charged musical-movement images.

Notably, parts of Serenade were choreographed using simple, clear steps that could be executed by the young dancers of the School of American Ballet. Balanchine used the technical level of his students as a generative constraint, producing choreography whose power comes from musicality, design, and ensemble patterns rather than virtuoso difficulty.

Over time, Serenade evolved into one of Balanchine’s signature works and became a foundational piece in the repertoire of the New York City Ballet, embodying both his neoclassical style and his belief that “dance is music made visible.”

For you as dancers, Serenade is a beautiful reminder that even the simplest ballet steps -- tendus, port de bras, clean lines, and quiet musicality -- can be breathtaking when done with care, intention, and grace. Great ballet isn’t only about difficulty; it’s also about clarity, artistry, and the heart you bring to every movement.

Here is a short video, featuring sections of the ballet, including the iconic opening, done by the Boston Ballet, at a dress rehearsal.

And here is the full ballet, featured in a 1990 PBS film called "Ballet in America." 

Enjoy!