New York City Ballet by Various, Pk 24 mar 2023, No (2023/2023), Teatro Real, Madrid, Spain

Serenade (1934) was the first full-length ballet George Balanchine created in the United States and is one of the signature works of the New York City Ballet. Taking the Serenade for Strings op. 48 by Tchaikovsky as the point of departure, Balanchine conceived this piece as a ballet lesson where we observe everything that takes place in a class, from a simple tendu in the beginning, to a mishap or two. In Square Dance, George Balanchine joined the traditions of American folk dance with classical ballet. With the music of Vivaldi and Corelli, the original 1957 version had the musicians on stage and a made use of a caller, the person who called out the steps. In the 1976 revival, however, the orchestra is in the pit, the caller was eliminated and a solo for the principle male dancer was added. The Times Are Racing (2017) is a ballet with sneakers and street clothes designed by Humberto Leon, co-founder of the fashion brand Opening Ceremony. Using an electronic score by Dan Deacon - the last four tracks of his 2012 album, America–, the piece takes its inspiration from a variety of styles, including references to the tap dancing of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.