Las Vegas Weekly

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Not every work of art can successfully represent French elegance, saucy American flash and Russian grandeur, feature music by three different composers and come to be regarded as an all-around crowd pleaser and a brilliant example of its creator’s genius. But then, that’s what makes George Balanchine’s three-act abstract ballet, Jewels, so special.

Presented by Nevada Ballet Theatre this weekend at Reynolds Hall, Jewels represents historical styles of dance—from 19th century French ballets to Broadway to the Imperial Russian Ballet—and has costumery befitting each of its acts: “Emeralds,” “Rubies” and “Diamonds.” A full orchestra, conducted by Emil de Cou and including musicians from the Las Vegas Philharmonic, will perform the music of Fauré, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky.

Joining NBT onstage will be Ballet West and Pacific Northwest Ballet, performing “Emeralds” and “Diamonds,” respectively. Nevada Ballet will perform “Rubies.”

Back to the crowd-pleasing part: A good chunk of Las Vegas audiences seem devoted to traditional ballet, preferring tutus and orchestral music to contemporary costumes and pop rhythms. Jewels will likely not disappoint. It even feeds the desires of contemporary audiences. Seems like a lovely way to open the season.