New York City Ballet: 20th Century Music Masters February 7, 2009

Balanchine ushered in a new day with his black and white ballets, and for the energetic Stravinsky Violin Concerto he streamlined his choreographic patterns to underscore the symmetries within Stravinsky's brilliant score. 'La Valse' is a whirling, dramatic piece, and Balanchine fashions a moody and mysterious world with his surging choreography. An enduring piece of American theater, the historic 'West Side Story Suite' brings audiences back to the feuding streets of 1950s New York City with its heart-rending poignancy.