Tricolore
Tricolore is a 1978 New York City Ballet commission set to music by Georges Auric, made not by a single choreographer but by three: Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, working under the conception and supervision of George Balanchine, the company's founding balletmaster. It premiered on 18 May 1978 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, as part of NYCB's ongoing programme of new work built around its resident and guest choreographic talent.
What is danced
The article does not describe any steps, technique, partnering, or set pieces danced in Tricolore. It records only the creative credits, the music, the commissioning body, and the premiere date and venue. Nothing here supports a claim about pointe work, character sections, ensemble structure, or the balance of vocabulary among the three choreographers' contributions, so no movement description can responsibly be offered.
Context
The work dates from the late 1970s, a period when Balanchine was drawing on younger company talent — Peter Martins as a rising choreographer soon to become balletmaster in chief, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux as a guest collaborator — alongside the established voice of Jerome Robbins, who had returned to NYCB as balletmaster. A ballet credited to three choreographers under Balanchine's supervision reflects the collaborative, workshop-like commissioning NYCB used in this era to generate new repertory quickly for its subscription seasons.
How to watch it
With no synopsis or musical-number breakdown recorded, a viewer has only the credit list to go on: attend to how three distinct choreographic voices are apportioned across Auric's score, and to any visible handoff between sections that might mark where one choreographer's contribution ends and another's begins.
Credits
- composer: Georges Auric