Episodes

Episodes is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham and George Balanchine, to compositions by Anton Webern. The ballet was a co-production between the Martha Graham Dance Company and Balanchine's New York City Ballet (NYCB). Though it was conceived to be a collaboration between Graham and Balanchine, leading choreographers in modern dance and neoclassical ballet respectively, they ultimately worked separately on the ballet's two halves. Episodes I was choreographed by Graham, for dancers from her company and four NYCB members, and depicts Mary, Queen of Scots remembering the events in her life before her execution. Episodes II, by Balanchine, is completely plotless, and made for members of the NYCB and Graham dancer Paul Taylor, who originated a solo. The ballet uses all seven orchestral compositions by Webern. Episodes premiered on May 14, 1959, at the City Center of Music and Dance. Starting in 1960, Balanchine's section is presented as a standalone piece, with Taylor's solo removed the following year. Since then, Balanchine's Episodes had been revived by both NYCB and other ballet companies, with Taylor's solo performed in a few rare instances. The complete Episodes has not been seen in full since 1959, and the Graham section had only been revived once, in 1980, with the choreography significantly revised. Choreography and analysis The program for the premiere of Episodes described it as an 'homage by dancers to a great composer." In performances of the complete ballet, a five-minute intermission occurs between Episodes I and Episodes II. Most performances of Episodes since 1960 only include Balanchine's Episodes II. Graham dancer Ethel Winter commented on the aesthetic differences between Episodes I and Episodes II,I was listening to a couple of people talking. Somebody asked the difference between modern dance and ballet and how would someone know between the two. So the other one said, "Oh, they will be in bare feet in modern dance and they will be flexing their feet with just tights on—no costumes." Of course, Episodes was completely the opposite. Martha’s company were the ones in shoes and full costumes; Balanchine’s New York City Ballet [dancers] were in tights, flexing their feet and arms. Somebody must have been very confused! Episodes I The program described Episodes I as follows, Miss Graham's section of Episodes deals with the last minutes in the life of Mary Queen of Scots.