Jerome Robbins

Jerome Robbins (1918–1998) was an American choreographer, director, and dancer whose work joined classical ballet with theatrical storytelling. His major works include the ballet Fancy Free and the musical West Side Story.

Fancy Free: A 1944 ballet by Jerome Robbins about three sailors on shore leave in New York City. This first major ballet established Robbins’s gift for turning everyday behavior into theatrical movement.
Choreography: The composition and arrangement of movement for dance or staged performance. Robbins used choreographic structure to carry character and plot, not just decorate them.
American Ballet Theatre: An American ballet company founded in 1939 and based in New York City. Robbins joined the company as a dancer in 1940 and began making ballets there.
Broadway theatre: Professional theatre presented in New York City’s Broadway district and nearby venues. Robbins became one of Broadway’s most influential directors and choreographers.
West Side Story: A 1957 Broadway musical that retells Romeo and Juliet amid rival youth gangs in New York City. Robbins’s choreography makes gang identity, conflict, and emotion visible throughout the musical.
Musical theatre: A form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. Robbins’s direction and choreography helped make dance integral to dramatic action.
New York City Ballet: An American ballet company founded in 1948 by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine. Robbins became a leading choreographer for the company while continuing his Broadway career.
American ballet: Ballet created and performed in the United States, shaped by international and local traditions. Robbins helped establish a distinctly American repertory through his work at New York City Ballet.
The King and I: A 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set in nineteenth-century Siam. Robbins choreographed its dances, including the staged ballet “Small House of Uncle Thomas.”
Leonard Bernstein: An American composer and conductor whose works include the scores for West Side Story and Fancy Free. Robbins collaborated with Bernstein on both works, joining choreography to his music.

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