Beyond Classicism: The New York State Theater & “Rubies”

Abstract

Architecture and dance are similar in that they deal with space. Architecture delimits space, while dance moves in it. Although architecture is generally static, it facilitates and influences movement by requiring people move in relation to it, whether it be going around, above, below, or through it. According to architect Philip Johnson, architecture is not merely a built structure. It needs to be experienced in sequence and in time. Similarly, dance becomes choreography when it is put in an ordered sequence. George Balanchine explained that choreographed movement is “used to produce visual sensations” and “create the impression of intensity and beauty”. How can architecture, in its fixity, choreograph the dynamic movement of people?

This paper will compare Balanchine’s choreography for “Rubies” from Jewels to Johnson’s design for the New York State Theater (now David H. Koch Theater) at Lincoln Center, to investigate the ways in which their creative decisions were influence by the classical style. Analyses will focus on the spatial procession and parti of the theater as well as the formations and movement diagrams of the ballet.