1937

In 1937 Balanchine and Kirstein’s collaborative efforts achieved many successes. Balanchine created dances for the Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms, working with a youthful cast that included tap dancers Duke McHale and the Nicholas Brothers. The American Ballet presented a well-received Stravinsky festival, which featured the composer as guest conductor and marked the American premiere of Balanchine’s Apollon Musagète. The festival also included the premieres of The Card Party and The Fairy’s Kiss, both of which were better received than Apollon. Soon after these projects, Balanchine and Kirstein made a decision to part ways, with Balanchine focusing on the American Ballet and his Broadway work and Kirstein devoting his attention to Ballet Caravan. This institutional drift would eventually lead to the collapse of the American Ballet in early 1938.