Costume design by John Held Jr. for The Hero in George Balanchine's ballet Alma Mater, produced by American Ballet, Adelphi Theatre, New York, 1935.

Full length male figure wearing stylized American football kit in royal blue with an uncoloured 'Y' on the chest, and light brown tights; to the upper right a thigh length drawing of the back of the costume, having '97' on the back. Pen and ink and watercolour inscribed 'Hero / Brown silk tights'.

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

One of a group of designs by John Held Jr. for George Balanchine's ballet Alma Mater, produced by the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet in 1934 and by American Ballet in 1935. These designs are part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest and were probably acquired by him in connection with his publications on dance design in the 20th century, although they do not appear to have been reproduced. This design is for the Hero, danced by ?Charles Laskey.

Historical significance: When Lincoln Kirstein brought George Balanchine to America with the express purpose of founding a native American ballet, there was some feeling that this should have been entrusted to an American and not a Russian. To counter this criticisim, Kirstein set about searching for suitable American themes for Balanchine and E E Warburg evolved the idea of a ballet based around American college football. The ballet has thus a significance in the 'Americanization' of Balanchine, although he refused to see an actual game before choreographing the work, which may account for the less than enthusiastic reception of the ballet. The designs by John Held Jr, the celebrated cartoonist, perfectly suited the subject and treatment of Balanchine's first excursion into the world of American popular culture and sport.

S.178-2000