Jewels

The first full-evening abstract ballet ever made, and still one of the most dazzling things on any stage. Three acts, three jewels, three completely different worlds. Emeralds is French — Fauré, soft and mysterious, dancers moving through green mist. Rubies is American — Stravinsky, sharp and jazzy, Balanchine at his most playful. Diamonds is Russian — Tchaikovsky, grand and imperial, a love letter to the ballet Balanchine grew up watching in St. Petersburg. You don't need to pick a favorite, but you will.