Theme and Variations

Theme and Variations is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 3. The ballet was created for Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre), and first performed in 1947. The ballet was greeted as a masterpiece at its premiere, has been staged since then by ballet companies around the world, and has remained a favorite of both critics and audiences. In 1970, Balanchine incorporated Theme and Variations into Suite No. 3 (now titled Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3), performed by the New York City Ballet, though Theme and Variations continues to be performed on its own as well.