The Four Temperaments

George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments is one of his first experimental works, merging classic steps with a refined and angular style. The ballet is inspired by the mediaeval belief that human beings are made up of four different moods which determine a person’s temperament. 

Choreography: George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust
Repetiteur: Patricia Neary
Lighting: Mark Stanley (original production), Bertrand Grandguillot (1993), Samuel Thery (2025)
Music: ‎Paul Hindemith, Theme with Four Variations for String Orchestra and Piano
Duration: 30 min

Premiere by the Ballet Society on November 20th 1946 in New York. New version by the New York City Ballet on 1948.
Premiere by Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo on December 29th 1993, restage on April 23rd 2025, Grimaldi Forum Monaco.