Square Dance is a ballet made by
New York City Ballet co-founder and balletmaster
George Balanchine to
Antonio Vivaldi's
Concerto Grosso in B minor and the first movement of his
Concerto Grosso in E major, Op. 3, nos. 10 and 12, respectively; in 1976 he added
Arcangelo Corelli's
Sarabanda, Badinerie e Giga, second and third movements. The premiere took place on November 21, 1957, at
City Center of Music and Drama, New York, with lighting by Mark Stanley. The original version placed the musicians on stage with a
square dance caller calling the steps; from its 1976 revival the caller was eliminated, the orchestra placed in the pit, and a solo added for the
premier danseur to the Corelli
Sarabanda. The
Pacific Northwest Ballet restored the caller for one performance at the 2007
Vail International Dance Festival.