Throwback Thursday and the Christiensen Brothers
The three Christiensen brothers, William (1902), Harold (1904) and
Lew (1909), were born into a family of Mormon dance and music masters. They
were instrumental in fostering the development of ballet in the United States,
particularly in the western part of the country.
Their early training was received from family members, and
they began their careers in vaudeville. During this period, Lew and Harold
studied with George Balanchine, and in 1937 Lew danced the title role in Apollo. He went on to choreograph the
ballet Filling Station that has
become an American classic.
Meanwhile, William began his association with the San
Francisco Opera Ballet (that became the San Francisco Ballet). This later
involved all three brothers: Harold as director of the San Francisco Ballet
School and Lew as artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet.
In 1951 William established a ballet program at the University
of Utah that ultimately became Ballet West.
William died in 2001, Harold in 1989, and Lew in 1984. A
book on their lives called The
Christensen Brothers, An American Dance
Epic was written by Debra Hickenlooper Sowell.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #82:
“The Christiensen
brothers fostered the development of ballet in the United States.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“You cannot swim for new horizons until
you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”
― William Faulkner
― William Faulkner
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