GEORGE BALANCHINE

George Balanchine was a ballet choreographer from the 1920s to the 1980s. He was known as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th-century, and worked extensively with leading composers of his time, such as Igor Stravinsky. He co-founded the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet with Lincoln Kirstein, and remained its artistic director for more than 35 years. He passed away in 1983 at the age of 79.