Choreographer and New York City Ballet co-founder George Balanchine, who was raised in Imperial Russia and worked in Europe during his early career, moved to the United States in 1933 and became an American citizen in 1940. He later conceived the idea of Stars and Stripes, as a tribute to his adopted country.[1]
Balanchine chose to use music by John Philip Sousa, who was best known for writing military marches.[2]: 143–144 When asked about the unusual choice of music, Balanchine only responded, "I like Sousa's music. It makes me feel good."[3]: 256 Lincoln Kirstein, co-founder of the New York City Ballet, wrote, "The ballet was conceived as a musical joke, Stars and Stripes was generally received as such, then and since."[2]: 144 Apart from Sousa's martial marches, the music of Stars and Stripes also included an opera and other lesser known pieces.[2]: 144 Hershy Kay, who had previously orchestrated music for ballet Western Symphony, was brought in to orchestrate Sousa's music, which was written for brass instruments only.[1]
Stars and Stripes has five sections, each called a "campaign".[6] Once, Balanchine was asked whether Stars and Stripes has a story. He said yes, and when asked what is the story, he replied, "The United States".[7] Balanchine called the ballet a "balletic parade", with four groups called "regiments".[4] He also admitted Stars and Stripes is what he called "the applause machine", and noted "calculated vulgarity is a useful ingredient".[8] In total, the ballet is danced by 27 women and 14 men. Sandra Jennings from the Balanchine Trust noted the ballet is "difficult" for the corps de ballet.[6] On the whole ballet, dance critic John Martin commented, "With the spirit of Sousa in the pit, the military march inevitably takes over the doings on stage, We see it in virtually every variety – drilling, parade strutting, drum-majoretting. There are high kicks galore, 'heel stretches,' tricks out of the circus and lifts… Everybody salutes at the slightest provocation."[9]
The first campaign, set to "Corcoran Cadets", starts with twelve women on stage. Their leader then enters with a majorette baton and marches, a moment dance critic John Gruen called "the image of the all-American girl".[1] The women march while the leader performs different steps. The section ends with the corps de ballet marching towards the audience then offstage, followed by the leader.[1]
The second campaign, to "Rifle Regiments", is danced by a female corps de ballet and a leader. Taller dancers are cast in this section. Therefore, as Gruen wrote, "Their jolly marching and intricate patterns have a more broadly sweeping character."[1]
The third campaign is set to "Thunder and Gladiator", and performed by an all-male group.[1] Dance critic Jennifer Dunning wrote, "men's flying stage-crosses, giving the tumultuous stage a fixed center in the regiment's spinning leader."[10] At the end of the section, the dancers salute the audience.[1] Jennings said that everyone in this section has "to be like a soloist" and "able to do the kind of steps that are asked of a soloist."[6]
The fourth campaign, to "The Liberty Bell" and "El Capitan", is a pas de deux that was described as "showy" by author Robert Greskovic,[11] and follows the structure of a classical pas de deux. Martin wrote that this section "goes for virtually impossible bravura".[9] Kirstein wrote that Balanchine created the pas de deux as "a tribute to Dwight Eisenhower, in his senior year at West Point, engaged to Mamie Doud." Balanchine had specifically asked Hershay Kay to use brass instruments in this section, rather than the violin.[2]: 144
The fifth campaign, set to "The Stars and Stripes Forever", starts with dancers from the first two regiments returning to the stage one by one, joined by the third regiment, before the dancers from the fourth campaign enter.[1] Gruen described, "Patriotic fervor overtakes everyone, and as the regiments parade, the leading couple stand at opposite sides of the stage to review them." The backdrop is switched to a large American flag. The ballet ends with the ballerina of the fourth campaign lifted by her partner, and with the full cast, "forms a victoriously patriotic tableau".[1]
Original cast
The principal dancers at the premiere of Stars and Stripes were:[9]
In 1993, the fourth and fifth "campaigns" of Stars and Stripes was filmed for the broadcast "The Balanchine Celebration", featuring dancers Margaret Tracey, Damian Woetzel, Katrina Killian and Gen Horiuchi.[11]