The Pas de Deux in Balanchine's "Agon"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the pas de deux section in Balanchine's ballet "Agon" is a sculptural representation of a relationship, expressing only aspects of reality in the dance. The author believes through absurdity and grandeur the pas de deux of Balanchine's "Agon" creates the virtual emotions of a conflicted relationship.The author describes and interprets each part of the pas de deux.

From the Paper:

"The pas de deux begins with a series of relatively quick steps performed by both dancers, with the female being one full count ahead of the male. This creates the strong impression that the female is leading the male, and establishes her dominance in the dance from the opening. This is unusual in ballet, where the classical pas de deux is performed with the male leading and the female following. The slightly frenetic opening ends in a pose that is repeated later, with the man above the woman, her leg up in an extreme, attitude arabesque that wraps about his head. This pose is remarkable for the extremity of the movement, and its visual illusion of the woman trapping the man with her bent leg. This pose is one exemplification of the comments of Lincoln Kirstein about the pas de deux, with its "naked strength, bare authority, and self-discipline in constructs of stressed extreme movement" "

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