Bugaku (ballet)

This article is about Balanchine's 1963 ballet. For the Japanese musical form, see Bugaku.

Bugaku is a ballet made by New York City Ballet co-founder and ballet master George Balanchine to eponymous music by Toshiro Mayuzumi, commissioned by City Ballet in 1962. The premiere took place on 30 March 1963 at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, with scenery by David Hays, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Ronald Bates. NYCB had toured Japan in 1958 and the Gagaku Company of the Imperial Household toured the US the following year.

Bugaku is the dance component of gagaku.

Cast

Original NYCB

• Allegra Kent

• Edward Villella

Spring 1984 NYCB

• Heather Watts

• Bart Cook

Spring 1985 NYCB

• Maria Calegari

• Jock Soto

March 1987 Dance Theatre of Harlem

• Christina Johnson

• Donald Williams

Winter 1988 NYCB

• Heather Watts

• Jock Soto

Winter 2003 NYCB

• Darci Kistler

• Jock Soto

Spring 2007 NYCB

• Maria Kowroski

• Albert Evans

November 2007 Suzanne Farrell Ballet

• Natalia Magnicaballi

• Michael Cook

Winter 2008 NYCB

• Maria Kowroski

• Albert Evans

Spring 2008 NYCB

• Wendy Whelan

• Albert Evans

References

• Playbill, New York City Ballet, Saturday, May 10, 2008
• Repertory Week, New York City Ballet, Spring Season, 2008 repertory, week 2

Reviews

• NY Times review by Allen Hughes, August 30, 1963
• NY Times review by Clive Barnes, November 20, 1976
• NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff, April 29, 1984
• NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff, March 20, 1987

• NY Times review by Alastair Macaulay, January 19, 2008
• review in the New York Sun by Joel Lobenthal, June 1, 2007
• review by Deborah Jowitt in the Village Voice, February 5, 2008
• review in Dance View Times by Alexandra Tomalonis, November 25, 2007

Articles

• NY Times article by Allen Hughes, March 22, 1963

• NY Times article by Anna Kisselgoff, April 5, 1987

External links

• Bugaku on the website of the Balanchine Trust