MASTER AT WORK: Choreographer George Balanchine teaching in a clip from “In Balanchine’s Classroom,” which has been screening at the Princeton Garden Theatre and is coming to Philadelphia’s Ritz 5.

By Anne Levin

As a child studying at the School of American Ballet during the 1960s, Connie Hochman had an up-close view of George Balanchine, the man considered to be the most influential choreographer of the 20^th century.

Along with other children at the school, Hochman was cast in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and other ballets with roles for children that Balanchine created for the New York City Ballet.

“Those were wonderful experiences. He was such a unique combination of gentle and quiet, but extremely businesslike, productive, and focused,” she said of the Russian-born choreographer, who died in 1983. “That made an impression on me, even as a young child.”

Hochman has been fascinated by Balanchine ever since. Last month, her documentary In Balanchine’s Classroom, produced by Zeitgeist Films, opened at New York’s Film Forum and numerous theaters throughout the country. It is currently screening at the Princeton Garden Theatre and will open on Thursday at Philadelphia’s Ritz 5.

“I had this burning desire to have more to do with Balanchine,” said Hochman, who danced many works by the choreographer while a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet in the 1970s. “It was like unfinished business. I wanted more, and wanted to understand more.”

At Pennsylvania Ballet (now the Philadelphia Ballet), Hochman noticed that there was something special about being taught Balanchine ballets by dancers who had actually worked with him. “They had this special kind of understanding of how to take his choreography and bring it to light,” she said. “They had a kind of inner knowledge, and I noticed it every time I worked with one of them.”

A project began to take shape in Hochman’s mind. “I started contacting dancers who had worked with Balanchine, and seeing if they would talk to me. One by one, they said yes,” she said. “As soon as I started, I felt I was onto something.”

Interviewing what turned out to be 90 former dancers who had worked with Balanchine, Hochman noticed a common theme. “There was a compulsion to set the record straight that he was a great teacher, not just a great choreographer,” she said. “Once they started talking, they couldn’t stop.”

The dancer testimonials form the basis of the film. There are interviews with several who worked closely with Balanchine, including Jacques d’Amboise, Heather Watts, Edward Villella, Gloria Govrin, and Merrill Ashley, all of whom are shown passing on his choreography to younger dancers such as Tiler Peck and Stella Abrera. Hochman was able to search out never-before-seen archival footage of Balanchine teaching class and rehearsing dancers.

Some of Balanchine’s teaching was unorthodox. He demanded almost impossible speed from his dancers, and made them repeat simple steps over and over until he was satisfied.

“It surprised me how much the dancers could talk about a simple step,” Hochman said. “They had so much to say about every single movement, and that’s what
Balanchine was doing in class. He took the most classical, beautiful training that he got in Russia to this new realm of expression. He didn’t change it. He just instilled more expression and clarity and speed. He wanted speed, but with more precision.”

Those who didn’t get screen time in the film will be part of a permanent archive that Hochman and her team are creating. “It was really hard to distill,” she said. “We had so much information by the time we finished talking to people, so it was difficult for me and the editors to really hone the voices and find those that would go together well to tell the story.”

Ultimately, the archive will be interactive. It will also include teaching footage and studio footage.

“We’re very excited to do it,” Hochman said. “It will be user-friendly, so we cannot wait to make this possible.”