George Balanchine’s Jewels returns to the Boston Ballet after 11 years
The three-part piece is a showcase of stretching ballet to its limits
Photo by Liza Voll, courtesy of Boston Ballet
Jewels
Boston Ballet
Choreography by George Balanchine
Citizen’s Bank Opera House
Nov. 6 – 16, 2025
George Balanchine’s Jewels is an abstract ballet honoring three distinct countries where the choreographer worked: France, America, and Russia. Jewels debuted in 1967 with the New York City Ballet (of which Balanchine was a co-founder) and has been performed by the Boston Ballet in 2009, 2014, and now in 2025.
The costumes were an accurate reflection of the inspiration for the ballet, based on a visit to a Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry showroom. Each raising of the curtain elicited pleased reactions from the audience, with bodices and skirts glimmering with each move. Unlike narrative ballets such as The Nutcracker or Swan Lake, abstract ballets do not follow a plot or story and have no identifiable characters, allowing the audience to focus purely on movement, formation, and design. The lack of these constraints allowed for numerous unique formations and highlighted more dancers. Though there was no guidance of a story to keep the audience invested, the costumes themselves were enough to keep one’s eyes glued to the stage.
Emeralds
The first part of the ballet, “Emeralds,” honors Balanchine’s time in France choreographing for the Ballet Russes in the 1920s. Set to music by French composer Gabriel Fauré (Pelléas et Mélisande and Shylock), the dance was lyrical and pleasant, meant to evoke the elegance and luxury of France. However, in some instances, experimentation with different formations, with dancers ducking under each other's arms, felt as though they were purely for the sake of adding more movement to an already beautiful dance. Long tulle skirts designed to portray softness did just that, and also covered most of the female dancers’ legs, hiding their practiced techniques. After seeing the second and third acts, “Emeralds” feels like merely an appetizer for the rest of the show.
Rubies
The second part, “Rubies,” is a nod to Balanchine’s influential time with the New York City Ballet and was set to Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. “Rubies” combines ballet with jazz, Broadway performance, and the rush of New York City itself. Whereas classical ballet emphasizes long, graceful lines of limbs, this work featured jagged edges in the form of flat feet, bent knees, shimmying shoulders, and arched backs reminiscent of fitness poses — sometimes alluring, but sometimes irksome, eliciting chuckles from the crowd. Following the calmer “Emeralds,” the speed and snap of Rubies was a welcome change at times, but my preference still leans towards classical styles of ballet.
Diamonds
The third and final showcase, “Diamonds,” is a reference to the Russian Imperial style of ballet and Balanchine’s early years with the Mariinsky Ballet until 1924. Set to Symphony No. 3 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “Diamonds” featured not only swelling, moving music but also impressive synchrony, shining decor, and flattering costumes. Formations and transitions were clean and purposeful. A long sequence of pirouettes brought applause from the audience, as did the coupé jeté en tournant en manège, a series of traveling, turning leaps. Out of all three parts, “Diamonds” was the most glorious and satisfying one, serving as an appropriate final act.
For those who are new to abstract ballet, Jewels is a wonderful introduction, as there is sure to be at least one act suited to each person’s taste. It is a showcase of how ballet can be choreographed through diverse ways: with solo dancers or dozens of dancers on stage, when paired with slow music or fast music, and with classical techniques or touches of jazz.