Wall Street Journal Masterpiece Column: George Balanchine’s ‘Slaughter on Tenth Avenue’ was the first full-scale ballet in a musical, and the first dance number on Broadway that contributed to advancing a show’s plot.
It’s late in New York, after closing time, but two figures still linger at the quiet bar: a stripper who performed earlier that evening, and the hoofer who loves her. She’s dressed like a pinup girl in black, with a fringy skirt, her hair wild and free. He holds out his hand and they dance exuberantly, playfully posing for each other and taking turns twirling. Leaning back against his arm until her hair nearly brushes the ground, she kicks her long legs straight up into the air, in time to the beat, as if in a marching band.
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Photo: GLASSHOUSE IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK, via WSJ
