George Balanchine was born in 1904 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He
             began his training in ballet at the age of nine at the St. Petersburg
             Imperial Theater School, and by 1921, he had graduated with honors and was
             appearing the State Theater of Opera and Ballet. His father was a
             composer, so Balanchine was always surrounded by music and dance from
             childhood. One biographer notes, "Highly regarded by both orchestral
             instrumentalists and conductors as one of the most musical choreographers
             of our time, Balanchine was the son of a composer" (Teck 15). In addition
             to his dancing, Balanchine also played piano, and attended the Petrograd
             Conservatory of Music, where he learned composition and other composing
             techniques. He composed music before he began choreography, and this
             background aided his endeavors. His official biography notes, "Such
             extensive musical training made it possible for Balanchine as a
             choreographer to communicate with a composer of the stature of Stravinsky;
             it also gave him the ability to make piano reductions of orchestral scores,
             an invaluable aid in translating music into dance" (Editors). Balanchine
             left Russia for a tour in 1924, and never returned. He spent time in
             London, and came to America in 1933, after several successful years of
             choreographing in Europe. American arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, who hoped
             to establish a memorable American ballet company, recruited him.
             Balanchine decided a school was necessary first, and the two founded the
             School of American Ballet in 1934. This was the small beginning of a
             ballet movement in America that still exists today. The School of American
             ballet still exists, and Balanchine's influence is still felt in ballet
             In 1935, Balanchine and Kerstein created their first ballet company,
             the American Ballet. The troupe did not successfully tour, but it did
             become the resident ballet company of the New York...