Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Houston
Official name	City of Houston
Settlement type	City
Nickname	Space City (official), more. . .
Image seal	Seal of Houston, Texas.png
Map caption	Houston's location and city limits in Harris County, Texas
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States of America
Coordinates region	US-TX
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision type2	Counties
Subdivision name	United States of America
Subdivision name1	Texas
Subdivision name2	Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery
Government type	Mayor–council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Annise Parker
Area magnitude	1 E8
Area total sq mi	601.3
Area total km2	1558
Area land sq mi	579.4
Area land km2	1,501
Area water sq mi	22.3
Area water km2	57.7
Population as of	2010 US Census
Population total	2099451(4th U.S.)
Population urban	3822509 (10th U.S.)
Population metro	5946800 (6th U.S.)
Population density sq mi	3,623
Population density km2	1,505
Population blank1 title	Demonym
Population blank1	Houstonian
Timezone	CST
Utc offset	-6
Timezone dst	CDT
Utc offset dst	-5
Area code	713, 281, 832
Elevation m	13
Elevation ft	43
Established title	Incorporated
Established date	June 5, 1837
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	48-35000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1380948
Website	houstontx.gov
Footnotes	}}

Houston () is the largest city in the state of Texas, and the city in the United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the metropolitan area in the United States, with nearly 6 million people.

Houston, known as the Bayou City, was founded in 1836 on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. It was incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837, and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.

Rated as a global city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. It is also leading in health care sectors and building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and offers year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.

History

In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs—Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen—from New York, purchased of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular general at the Battle of San Jacinto, who was elected President of Texas in September 1836.

Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor. In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County) and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce in part to promote shipping and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont. During the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used the city as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston. After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between downtown and the nearby port of Galveston. By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas.

In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deepwater port were accelerated. The following year, oil discovered at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910 the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. An integral part of the city were African Americans, who numbered 23,929 or nearly one-third of the residents. They were developing a strong professional class based then in the Fourth Ward.

President Woodrow Wilson opened the deepwater Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris the most populous county.

When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products during the war. Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators. The M.D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945. After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits, which more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread across the region.

In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston resulting in an economic boom and producing a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector.

The increased production of the local shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973), which created the city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.

During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people from Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The new residents came for the numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo.

The population boom ended abruptly in the mid-1980s, as oil prices fell precipitously. The space industry also suffered in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession adversely affecting the city's economy.

Since the 1990s, as a result of the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and health care/biotechnology and by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor.

In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas. By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the third-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits.

In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; this comprises of land and of water. Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, which are all still visible in surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring problem for the city. Downtown stands about above sea level, and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about in elevation. The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston, Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston. The city owns surface water rights for 1.2 billion gallons of water a day in addition to 150 million gallons a day worth of groundwater.

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Braes Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.

Geology

Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.

The Houston area has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults) with an aggregate length of up to , including the Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system which runs through the center of the city. There have been no significant historically recorded earthquakes in Houston, but researchers do not discount the possibility of such quakes having occurred in the deeper past, nor occurring in the future. Land in some communities southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out from the ground for many years. It may be associated with slip along the faults; however, the slippage is slow and not considered an earthquake, where stationary faults must slip suddenly enough to create seismic waves. These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep", which further reduces the risk of an earthquake.

Climate

Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (''Cfa'' in Köppen climate classification system). While not necessarily part of "Tornado Alley" like much of the rest of Texas, Spring supercell thunderstorms do sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, bringing heat across the continent from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over , with an average of 99 days per year above . However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent relative humidity and approximately 60 percent in the afternoon. Winds are often light in the summer and offer little relief, except near the immediate coast. To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every vehicle and building in the city; in 1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth". Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston was on September 4, 2000

Winters in Houston are mild. The average high in January, the coldest month, is , while the average low is . Snowfall is very rare. Recent snow events in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 when one inch (2.5 cm) fell and more recent snowfalls on December 10, 2008. However, more recently on December 4, 2009 an inch of snow fell in the city. This was the earliest snowfall ever recorded in Houston. In addition, it set another milestone marking the first time in recorded history that snowfall has occurred in two consecutive years, and was the third accumulating snowfall occurring in the decade of 2000–2010. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was on January 23, 1940. Houston receives a high amount of rainfall annually, averaging about 54 inches a year. These rains tend to cause floods over portions of the city.

Houston has excessive ozone levels and is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston’s predominant air pollution problem, with the American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level as the 8th worst in the United States in 2011. The industries located along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution.

Cityscape

Houston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward system of representation. The ward designation is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. The inside encompasses the central business district and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More recently, high-density residential areas have been developed within the loop. The city's outlying areas, suburbs and enclaves are located outside of the loop. Beltway 8 encircles the city another farther out.

Though Houston is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role. Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family houses and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers. Such restrictions have had mixed results. Though some have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl, and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, the city's land use has also been credited with having significant affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis. The city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009.

Voters rejected efforts to have separate residential and commercial land-use districts in 1948, 1962, and 1993. Consequently, rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts have grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Greenway Plaza, Memorial City, Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Greenspoint.

Government and politics

The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government. Houston is a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan. The City's elected officials are the mayor, city controller and 16 members of the city council. The mayor of Houston is Annise Parker—a Democrat elected on a nonpartisan ballot who is serving her first term as of January 2010.

The original city council line-up of 14 members (nine district-based and five at-large positions) was based on a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979. At-large council members represent the entire city. Under the city charter, once the population in the city limits exceeded 2.1 million residents, two additional districts were to be added. The City of Houston's official 2010 census count was 600 shy of the required number; however, as the city was expected to grow beyond 2.1 million shortly thereafter, the two additional districts were added and the positions filled during the August 2011 elections. The districts are labeled A through K while the at-large positions are numbered 1 through 5.

The city controller is elected independently of the mayor and council. The controller's duties are to certify available funds prior to committing such funds and processing disbursements. The city's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Ronald Green is the city controller, serving his first term as of January 2010.

As the result of a 1991 referendum in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected to as many as three consecutive terms. The term limits were spearheaded by conservative political activist Clymer Wright. The city controller and city council members are also subject to the same two-year, three-term limitations.

Houston is considered to be a politically divided city whose balance of power often sways between Republicans and Democrats. Much of the city's wealthier areas vote Republican, while the city's middle class, working class, and minority areas vote Democratic. According to the 2005 Houston Area Survey, 68 percent of non-Hispanic whites in Harris County are declared or favor Republicans while 89 percent of non-Hispanic blacks in the area are declared or favor Democrats. About 62 percent Hispanics (of any race) in the area are declared or favor Democrats. The city has often been known to be the most politically diverse city in Texas, a state known for being generally conservative. |} Houston is recognized worldwide for its energy industry—particularly for oil and natural gas—as well as for biomedical research and aeronautics. Renewable energy sources—wind and solar—are also growing economic bases in Houston. The ship channel is also a large part of Houston's economic base. Because of these strengths, Houston is designated as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network and by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

The Houston area is a leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston. The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world. Unlike most places, high oil and gasoline prices are beneficial for Houston's economy as many of its residents are employed in the energy industry.

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010 was $385 billion, larger than Austria's, Poland's or Saudi Arabia's GDP. Only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product. Mining, which in Houston consists almost entirely of exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 26.3% of Houston's GAP, up sharply in response to high energy prices and a decreased worldwide surplus of oil production capacity; followed by engineering services, health services, and manufacturing.

The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston-area's economy equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated. This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the UH System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout Texas. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston. After five years, 80.5 percent of graduates are still living and working in the region.

In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the Category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by ''Forbes'' magazine. Foreign governments have established 92 consular offices in metropolitan Houston, the third highest in the nation. Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Twenty-five foreign banks representing 13 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.

In 2008, Houston received top ranking on Kiplinger's Personal Finance ''Best Cities of 2008'' list which ranks cities on their local economy, employment opportunities, reasonable living costs and quality of life. The city ranked fourth for highest increase in the local technological innovation over the preceding 15 years, according to ''Forbes'' magazine. In the same year, the city ranked second on the annual Fortune 500 list of company headquarters, ranked first for ''Forbes'' ''Best Cities for College Graduates'', and ranked first on Forbes list of ''Best Cities to Buy a Home''. In 2010, the city was rated the best city for shopping, according to Forbes.

Demographics

Houston is a multicultural city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries as well as being a major port city. Over 90 languages are spoken in the city. The city has among the youngest populations in the nation, partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas. An estimated 400,000 illegal aliens reside in the Houston area.

According to the 2010 Census, Whites made up 51% of Houston's population; 26% of the total population were non-Hispanic whites. Blacks or African Americans made up 24% of Houston's population. American Indians made up 0.7% of Houston's population. Asians made up 6% of Houston's population (1.7% Vietnamese, 1.3% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.9% Pakistani, 0.4% Filipino, 0.3% Korean, 0.1% Japanese), while Pacific Islanders made up 0.1%. Individuals from some other race made up 15.2% of the city's population, of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 3.3% of the city's population. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 44% of Houston's population; 32% of Houston's population is of Mexican heritage; the next five Hispanic groups are those of Salvadoran, Honduran, Guatemalan, Colombian and Puerto Rican heritage, respectively.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.3% White, 25.3% African American, 5.3% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 37.4% of Houston's population while non-Hispanic whites made up 30.8%.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,000, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $32,000 versus $27,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,000. Nineteen percent of the population and 16 percent of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26% of those under the age of 18 and 14% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Culture

Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community. The metropolitan area is home to an estimated 1.1 million (21.4 percent) residents who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born population from south of the United States–Mexico border. Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia. The city is home to the nation’s third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 86 countries.

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early March, which happens to be the largest annual Livestock Show and Rodeo anywhere in the world. Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June. Other annual events include the Houston Greek Festival, Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival, and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.

Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Other nicknames often used by locals include "Magnolia City," and "H-Town."

Arts and theatre

The Houston Theater District, located downtown, is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States. Houston is one of few United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre). Houston is also home to folk artists, art groups and various small progressive arts organizations. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests. Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hall—home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts—and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

The Museum District's cultural institutions and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year. Notable facilities the include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo. Located near the Museum District are The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum.

Bayou Bend is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts that houses one of America's best collections of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg.

Venues across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, dubstep, and Tejano musical acts. While Houston has never been a widely renowned for its music scene, Houston hip-hop has become a significant, independent music scene, producing some of most famed hip-hop artists and creating a sound which has become largely influential in the South as well as other hip-hop scenes.

Tourism and recreation

The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards and Sundance Cinema. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theater stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy. Space Center Houston is the official visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Center has many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program. Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Race Park. SplashTown Waterpark Houston is a water park located north of Houston. Earth Quest Adventures is a theme park planned to open in 2013/2014. Houston is home to 337 parks including Hermann Park, Terry Hershey Park, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, Tranquility Park, Sesquicentennial Park, Discovery Green, and Sam Houston Park. Within Hermann Park are the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Sam Houston Park contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905. There is a proposal to open the city's first botanic garden at Herman Brown Park.

Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Houston has the most total area of parks and green space, The city also has over 200 additional green spaces—totaling over that are managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a public skatepark owned and operated by the city of Houston, and is one of the largest skateparks in Texas consisting of 30,000 (2,800 m2) square foot in-ground facility. The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park—located in the Uptown District of the city—serves as a popular tourist attraction, weddings, and various celebrations. A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Houston the 23rd most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.

Media

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area is served by one public television station and two public radio stations. KUHT (''HoustonPBS'') is a PBS member station and is the first public television station in the United States. Houston Public Radio is listener-funded and comprises two NPR member stations: KUHF (''KUHF News'') and KUHA (''Classical 91.7''). KUHF is news/talk radio and KUHA is a classical music station. The University of Houston System owns and holds broadcasting licenses to KUHT, KUHF, and KUHA. The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, located on the campus of the University of Houston.

Houston is served by the ''Houston Chronicle'', its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates the ''Houston Chronicle'', bought the assets of the ''Houston Post''—its long-time rival and main competition—when ''Houston Post'' ceased operations in 1995. The ''Houston Post'' was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the ''Houston Press''—a free alternative weekly with a weekly readership of more than 300,000.

Education

Seventeen school districts exist within the city of Houston. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest school district in the United States. HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.

The Houston area encompasses more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Colleges and universities

Four distinct state universities are located in Houston. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities. The university in Texas, UH has nearly 40,000 students on its 667 acre campus in southeast Houston. The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. Located in the historic community of Third Ward is Texas Southern University—one of the largest historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to Rice University, the nationally recognized research university—are located within the city.

Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston. The northwestern through northeastern parts of the city are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System, while the southeastern portion of Houston is served by San Jacinto College. The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Healthcare

Houston is the seat of the internationally renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. All 49 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. Employing more than 73,600 people, institutions at the medical center include 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air emergency service, Life Flight, was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.

Some of the academic and research health institutions at the center include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Science Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital, The Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

The Baylor College of Medicine has annually been considered within the top ten medical schools in the nation; likewise, the MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by ''U.S. News & World Report'' since 1990. The Menninger Clinic, a renowned psychiatric treatment center, is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital System. With hospital locations nationwide and headquarters in Houston, the Triumph Healthcare hospital system is the third largest long term acute care provider nationally.

Transportation

Highways

The predominant form of transportation in Houston is the automobile with 71.7 percent of residents driving alone to work This is facilitated through Houston's freeway system, comprising of freeways and expressways in a ten-county metropolitan area. However, the Texas Transportation Institute's annual Urban Mobility Report found that Houston had the fourth-worst congestion in the country with commuters spending an average of 58 hours in traffic in 2009.

Houston's highway system has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops. The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the medical center, and many core neighborhoods with around a diameter. Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly . A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. As of 2010, only two out of eleven segments of State Highway 99 have been completed. Houston is located along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that would link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Other spoke freeways either planned or under construction include the Fort Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin Freeway.

Houston's freeway system is monitored by Houston TranStar—a partnership of four government agencies that are responsible for providing transportation and emergency management services to the region. Houston TranStar was the first center in the nation to combine transportation and emergency management centers, and the first to bring four agencies (Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, and the City of Houston) together to share their resources.

Transit systems

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city.

METRO began light rail service on January 1, 2004 with the inaugural track ("Red Line") running about from the University of (UHD), which traverses through the Texas Medical Center and terminates at Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines to the existing system.

Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides service to Houston via the (Los Angeles–New Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the downtown area. The station saw 14,891 boardings and alightings in fiscal year 2008.

Airports

Houston is served by three airports, two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System. The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005, largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.

The primary city airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the sixth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and fourteenth-busiest worldwide. Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations. In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States. The Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center stands on the George Bush Intercontinental Airport grounds.

Houston was the headquarters of Continental Airlines until its 2010 merger with United Airlines with headquarters in Chicago; regulatory approval for the merger was granted in October of that year. Bush Intercontinental became United Airline's largest airline hub. The airline retained a significant operational presence in Houston while offering more than 700 daily departures from the city. In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model "port of entry" for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The second-largest commercial airport is William P. Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967) which operates primarily small to medium-haul domestic flights. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located in the old terminal building on the west side of the airport. Hobby Airport has been recognized with two awards for being one of the top five performing airports in the world and for customer service by Airports Council International.

Houston's third municipal airport is Ellington Airport (a former U.S. Air Force base) used by military, government, NASA, and general aviation sectors.

Architecture

Houston has the third tallest skyline in North America and one of the top 10 in the world. A seven-mile (11 km) system of tunnels and skywalks link downtown buildings containing shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and rain while walking between buildings.

In the 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a collection of mid-rise office structures. Downtown was on the threshold of an energy industry led boom in 1970. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, -tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 10th tallest building in the United States and the 30th tallest skyscraper in the world, based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor, -tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it is the 13th tallest in the United States and the 36th tallest in the world. As of 2007, downtown Houston had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.

Centered on Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, the Uptown District boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Uptown became one of the most prominent instances of an edge city. The tallest building in Uptown is the 64-floor, -tall, Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time of construction, it was believed to the be the world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district. The Uptown District is also home to buildings designed by noted architects I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s decade, there was a mini-boom of mid-rise and high-rise residential tower construction, with several over 30 stories tall. In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m²) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.

Sports

Houston has sports teams for every major professional league, except the National Hockey League.

Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets and Aeros), are located in Downtown. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium (home of the Texans). In addition, Reliant Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the world. Other sports facilities include Robertson Stadium (home of the Houston Cougars football team), Hofheinz Pavilion (Houston Cougars basketball), Rice Stadium (Rice Owls football), and Reliant Arena. BBVA Compass Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium for the Dynamo—to be located just east of Downtown—is expected to be finished by 2012.

The city has hosted several major professional and college sporting events, including the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. Houston hosts the annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December.

Crime

Houston's murder rate ranked 46th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population). In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked sixth among U.S. cities with a population of over 750,000 (behind New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles) according to the FBI.

Murders fell by 37 percent from January to June 2011, compared with the same period in 2010. Houston's total crime rate including violent and nonviolent crimes decreased by 11 percent.

Houston—due to its size and proximity to major illegal drug exporting nations—is a significant hub for trafficking of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine. In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and several coastal towns were the site of the '' 'Houston Mass Murders' '' which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history.

Sister cities

Houston has 17 sister cities designated by Sister Cities International—a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between U.S. and international communities in an effort to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding, and to stimulate economic development. Many of Houston's sister cities, including Abu Dhabi, Baku, Luanda, Stavanger, Tampico, and Tyumen are, like Houston, important cities in the oil industry.

{| cellpadding="10" style="margin: 0 auto;" |- valign="top" | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2001) Baku, Azerbaijan (1976) Chiba, Japan (1973) Grampian Region, Scotland, United Kingdom (1979) Guayaquil, Ecuador (1987) Huelva, Spain (1969) Istanbul, Turkey (1986) Karachi, Pakistan (2008) Leipzig, Germany (1993) || || Luanda, Angola (2003) Nice, France (1973) Perth, Western Australia, Australia (1983) Shenzhen, People's Republic of China (1986) Stavanger, Norway (1980) Taipei, Taiwan (ROC) (1963) Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico (2003) Tyumen, Russia (1995) |}

References

Further reading

Houston, New York Has a Problem, ''City Journal,'' Summer 2008

174 Years of Historic Houston ''Houstonhistory.com''. 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.

''A thumb-nail history of the city of Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1836 to the year 1912'', published 1912, hosted by the Portal to Texas History, republished 2007 by Copano Bay Press.

''True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young.'', published 1913, hosted by the Portal to Texas History, republished 2007 by Copano Bay Press.

.

External links

City of Houston official website

Greater Houston Partnership

174 Years of Historic Houston

Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau

Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center

Houston Public Library official website

Houston Downtown District

Uptown Houston District

Midtown Houston District

Houston Airport System

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance

Houston Wilderness Organization

Historical photos of Houston at the University of Houston Digital Library

Category:Cities in Texas Category:Populated coastal places in Texas Category:Populated places established in 1836 Category:Populated places in Fort Bend County, Texas Category:Populated places in Harris County, Texas Category:Populated places in Montgomery County, Texas Category:Populated places in the United States with Hispanic plurality populations Category:Port settlements in the United States

af:Houston als:Houston am:ሂውስተን ar:هيوستن، تكساس ast:Houston az:Hyuston bn:হিউস্টন zh-min-nan:Houston be:Горад Х'юстан be-x-old:Г’юстан bg:Хюстън bs:Houston, Texas ca:Houston cs:Houston cy:Houston da:Houston de:Houston et:Houston el:Χιούστον es:Houston eo:Houston (Teksaso) ext:Houston eu:Houston fa:هیوستون fo:Houston fr:Houston fy:Houston ga:Houston, Texas gv:Houston, Texas gd:Houston, Texas gl:Houston, Texas gu:હ્યુસ્ટન hak:Hiû-sṳ̂-tûn ko:휴스턴 haw:Houston, Kekeka hy:Հյուստոն hi:ह्युस्टन hr:Houston, Teksas id:Houston, Texas ia:Houston, Texas os:Хьюстон is:Houston it:Houston he:יוסטון pam:Houston, Texas ka:ჰიუსტონი kw:Houston, Teksas sw:Houston, Texas ht:Houston, Texas ku:Houston (Teksas) mrj:Хьюстон la:Hustonia (Texia) lv:Hjūstona lb:Houston lt:Hiustonas lmo:Houston hu:Houston mk:Хјустон mg:Houston ml:ഹ്യൂസ്റ്റൺ (ടെക്സസ്) mr:ह्युस्टन ms:Houston my:ဟူစတန်မြို့ nah:Houston, Texas nl:Houston ne:ह्युस्टन ja:ヒューストン no:Houston nn:Houston pnb:ہسٹن pl:Houston pt:Houston ro:Houston qu:Houston ru:Хьюстон sah:Хьюстон sco:Houston scn:Houston simple:Houston sk:Houston sl:Houston, Teksas sr:Хјустон sh:Houston fi:Houston sv:Houston tl:Houston, Teksas ta:ஹியூஸ்டன் te:హ్యూస్టన్ th:ฮิวสตัน tr:Houston uk:Х'юстон ur:ہیوسٹن ug:Hyuston vi:Houston, Texas vo:Houston war:Houston yi:היוסטן yo:Houston diq:Houston zh:休斯敦

The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains some 40 percent of the company's dancers. As of 2011, the Houston Ballet's endowment stood at more than $55 million, making it one of the largest endowments held for a dance company in the US. The company produces about 75 performances each year.

History

The Houston Ballet has its origins in the Houston Ballet Academy, which was established in 1955 under the leadership of Tatiana Semenova, a former dancer with the Ballets Russes. In 1969, the foundation formed a professional ballet company under the direction of Nina Popova, also a former dancer with the Ballet Russes and the American Ballet Theatre.

From 1976-2003, Englishman Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., a former dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, served as artistic director of Houston Ballet. His leadership, training, and choreography transformed the company from a regional company into the internationally recognized company it is today. He is best known for his full-length story ballets including ''Cinderella'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Sleeping Beauty'', ''Swan Lake'', ''Dracula'', and ''Cleopatra''.

During his tenure, Stevenson established a core of permanent choreographers whose works have greatly enriched the company’s repertory. In 1989, Sir Kenneth MacMillan joined the company as artistic associate and Christopher Bruce was named resident choreographer. Sir Kenneth worked with the company from 1989 until his death in 1992, setting five of his pieces on Houston Ballet dancers. Mr. Bruce, who currently holds the title of associate choreographer, has set nine works on the company, including four pieces created especially for Houston Ballet. In March 1995, Trey McIntyre, one of the most talented young dance makers in the country, assumed the position of choreographic associate. Mr. McIntyre has created seven world premieres for the company, including his first full-length production of Peter Pan.

Composition

Today, the Houston Ballet, which the ''New York Times'' has called "one of the nation’s best ballet companies," consists of 54 dancers.

Collaboration

The Houston Ballet has choreographed several productions with other major ballet companies, including the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the American Ballet Theatre, the Boston Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. It also has toured extensively in Europe, Canada and around the U.S. In July 1995, the Houston Ballet became the first full American ballet company invited by the Chinese government to tour the country. An estimated 500 million people witnessed Houston Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet when the company's opening night performance was telecast live on Chinese television. In 2002, the company became the first major American ballet company to perform in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. Over the last five years, the company has emerged as one the most effective international ambassadors for the City of Houston, performing in London, Hong Kong, Toronto, Montreal, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and New York's City Center Theatre.

Center for Dance

In 2011, the Company moved into its new Center for Dance which had its grand opening on April 9, 2011. The facility increases the number of dance studios from six to nine, and include a "black box dance laboratory" for presentations as well as rehearsals. The Center more than doubles the space that Houston Ballet had at its previous location. It is the largest dance facility of its kind in the United States, and is a $46 million investment in the Houston arts community.

References

External links

Category:Ballet companies in the United States Category:Culture of Houston‎, Texas Category:Texas classical music Category:1969 establishments in the United States Houston Ballet Category:Performing groups established in 1969

it:Houston Ballet

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	George Balanchine
birth name	Georgi Melitonovitch Balanchivadze
birth date	January 22, 1904
birth place	St. Petersburg, Russia
death date	April 30, 1983
death place	New York City
occupation	choreographer, actor, director
years active	1929 - 1983
spouse	Tamara Geva (1921-1926)Vera Zorina (1938-1946)Maria Tallchief (1946-1952)Tanaquil LeClercq (1952-1969) }}

George Balanchine (January 22, 1904 – April 30, 1983), born Giorgi Balanchivadze () in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet. He was a choreographer known for his musicality; he expressed music with dance and worked extensively with Igor Stravinsky. Thirty-nine of his more than 400 ballets were choreographed to music by Stravinsky.

Georgia and Russia

Balanchine's family was comprised largely of composers and soldiers. His father was the noted Georgian composer Meliton Balanchivadze (1862–1937), was one of the initiators of the Georgian Opera. George's brother, Andria Balanchivadze (1906–1992), became a well-known Georgian composer. As a child, Balanchine was not particularly interested in ballet. His mother loved the art and had the young Giorgi audition with his sister, who shared her mother's passion for ballet.

Based on his audition, during 1913 (at age nine) Balanchine relocated from rural Finland to Saint Petersburg and was accepted into the Imperial Ballet School, principal school of the Imperial Ballet, where he was a student of Pavel Gerdt and Samuil Andrianov (Pavel's son-in-law). After the Bolsheviks won the Russian Revolution of 1917, they closed and disbanded the school as an elitist symbol of the Czarist regime. To survive the privation and martial law of this period, Balanchine played the piano — for food, not for money — at cabarets and silent movie theaters. Eventually the Imperial Ballet School reopened, but with greatly reduced funding from the government. After graduating with honors during 1921, Balanchine enrolled in the Petrograd Conservatory while working in the corps de ballet at The State Academic Theater for Opera and Ballet (formerly the State Theater of Opera and Ballet and known as the Mariinsky Ballet). His studies at the conservatory included advanced piano, music theory, counterpoint, harmony, and composition. Balanchine graduated from the conservatory during 1923, and danced as a member of the corps until 1924.

While still in his teens, Balanchine choreographed his first work, a ''pas de deux'' named ''La Nuit'' (1920, music by Anton Rubinstein). This was followed by another duet, ''Enigma'', with the dancers in bare feet rather than ballet shoes. During 1923, with fellow dancers, Balanchine formed a small ensemble, the Young Ballet. The choreography proved too experimental for the new authorities.

Marriage and family

During 1922 when Balanchine was eighteen years old, he married Tamara Geva, a fifteen-year-old dancer. After his divorce from Geva, Balanchine was with Alexandra Danilova from 1926 through 1933. He married and divorced three more times, all to women who were his dancers: Vera Zorina (December 1938–1946), Maria Tallchief (1946–1952), and Tanaquil LeClercq (1952–1969). He did not have any children.

Escape to the West

On a 1924 visit to Germany with the Soviet State Dancers, Balanchine, his wife Tamara Geva, and the dancers Alexandra Danilova, and Nicholas Efimov fled to Paris, where there was a large Russian community of families exiled by the Revolution. The impresario Sergei Diaghilev, another Russian exile, asked Balanchine to join his newly formed Ballets Russes as a choreographer. Diaghilev drew from all the contemporary arts to create a company with great influence.

Ballets Russes

Diaghilev soon promoted Balanchine to balletmaster of the company and promoted his choreography. Between 1924 and Diaghilev's death during 1929, Balanchine created nine ballets, as well as lesser works. During these years, he worked with major composers, such as Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie and Ravel, and artists who designed sets and costumes, such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Rouault, and Henri Matisse, creating new works that combined all the arts. Among his new works, during 1928 in Paris, Balanchine premiered ''Apollon musagète'' (Apollo and the muses) in a collaboration with Stravinksy; it was one of his most innovative ballets, combining classical ballet and classical Greek myth and images with jazz movement. He described it as "the turning point in my life".

Suffering a serious knee injury, Balanchine had to limit his dancing, effectively ending his performance career. After Diaghilev's death, the Ballets Russes became somewhat disorganized. To earn money, Balanchine began to stage dances for the Cochran Revues in London. He was retained by the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen as a guest ballet master.

When part of the Ballets Russes settled in Monte Carlo, Balanchine joined them and accepted a job as ballet master; directed by René Blum, the company was then named the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. He choreographed three ballets: ''Cotillon'', ''La Concurrence'', and ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme''. His paramour in Monte Carlo was the young Tamara Toumanova, one of the original three "Baby Ballerinas" which the director had selected from the Russian exile community of Paris.

When Blum gave control of the company to Colonel W. de Basil, Balanchine left the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo to act as principal choreographer for the newly-founded Les Ballets 1933. The company was financed by Edward James, a British ballet patron. Boris Kochno, Diaghilev's former secretary and companion, served as artistic advisor. The company lasted only a couple of months during 1933, performing only in Paris and London, when the Great Depression made arts more difficult to fund. Balanchine created several new works, including collaborations with composers Kurt Weill, Darius Milhaud, and Henri Sauguet, and designer Pavel Tchelitchew.

Lincoln Kirstein, a young American arts patron recently graduated from Harvard University, saw Les Ballets 1933. With the goal of establishing a ballet company in the United States, he met with and quickly persuaded Balanchine to relocate there with his assistance. By October of that year, Kirstein had brought Balanchine to New York, where he would begin influencing the character, training and techniques of American ballet and dance.

United States

Balanchine insisted that his first project would be to establish a ballet school because he wanted to develop dancers who had the strong technique and style he wanted. Compared to his classical training, he thought they could not dance well. With the assistance of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward M.M. Warburg, the School of American Ballet opened to students on January 2, 1934, less than 3 months after Balanchine arrived in the U.S. Later that year, Balanchine had his students play a recital, where they premiered his new work ''Serenade'' to music by Tchaikovsky at the Warburg's summer estate. The work, modified by Balanchine over the years, remains a signature work of New York City Ballet nearly 80 years after its premiere.

Between his ballet activities in the 1930s and 1940s, Balanchine choreographed for musical theater with such notables as Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Vernon Duke). He greatly admired Fred Astaire, describing him as "the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our times... you see a little bit of Astaire in everybody's dancing—- a pause here, a move there. It was all Astaire originally."

During 1935, Balanchine formed a professional company named the American Ballet. After failing to organize a tour, the company began performing as the house company for the Metropolitan Opera. In 1936, Balanchine staged Gluck's opera ''Orfeo and Eurydice'' and during 1937 an evening of dance works all choreographed to the music of Igor Stravinsky.

Relocation to West Coast

Balanchine relocated his company to Hollywood during 1938, where he rented a white two-story house with "Kolya", Nicholas Kopeikine, his "rehearsal pianist and lifelong colleague", on North Fairfax Avenue not far from Hollywood Boulevard. Balanchine created dances for movies, some of which featured his wife Zorina and other of his dancers. He reconvened the company as the American Ballet Caravan and toured with it throughout North and South America, but it folded after several years. From 1944 to 1946, during and after World War II, Balanchine served as resident choreographer for the ''Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo''.

Balanchine continued to work with contemporary composers, for example, setting ''The Four Temperaments'' to music of the same name by Paul Hindemith, a composition which he commissioned in 1940. First performed on November 20, 1946, the modernist work was one of his early abstract and spare ballets, angular and very different in movement.

Return to New York

Soon Balanchine formed a new dance company, Ballet Society, again with the generous help of Lincoln Kirstein. After several successful performances, the most notable featuring the ballet ''Orpheus'' created in collaboration with Stravinsky and sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, the City of New York offered the company residency at the New York City Center. With that arrangement Ballet Society officially became New York City Ballet in 1948.

In 1954 Balanchine created his version of ''The Nutcracker'', in which he played the mime role of Drosselmeyer. The company has since performed the ballet every year in New York City during the Christmas season. One of its most famous productions, ''The Nutcracker'' has been a money-making tradition for NYCB and other companies that perform it. It was filmed for theatrical release in 1993 by director Emile Ardolino, danced by NYCB with specially-written narration spoken by Kevin Kline and released on DVD by Warner Brothers Home Video.

When Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts was constructed, NYCB was offered the New York State Theater (renamed the David H. Koch Theater since 2008 when the billionaire made a donation of one hundred million dollars for major renovations). Balanchine collaborated with architect Philip Johnson in determining its design and finally had a theater large enough for the works he wanted to stage when the house opened in 1964. He often created large-scale works there, from American themes and Broadway, such as ''Stars and Stripes'' for the premiere performance, to drawing from European traditions and music, such as his 1977 ''Vienna Waltzes'', a lavishly-designed one-hour ballet choreographed to music by Johann Strauss, Franz Lehár, and Richard Strauss.

During the 1960s, Balanchine created and revised nearly forty ballets including in 1965 a rare foray into the genre of evening-length story ballets, ''Don Quixote'' in which he played the title role. His created the lead female role for Suzanne Farrell, the young ballerina of whom he was greatly enamored at the time and for whom he would create many roles until the end of his career. Among the most notable is the ''Diamonds'' section of the plotless evening-length three-act ballet ''Jewels'' to music of Tchaikovsky. Some ballerinas, including his former wife Maria Tallchief, quit the company, citing his obsession with Farrell as the reason. Balanchine obtained a Mexican divorce from then-wife Tanaquil LeClercq during this time.

In the summer of 1972, a year after the death of Stravinsky, Balanchine staged another Stravinsky Festival, for which he choreographed several major new works including the "miracle" ballets ''Stravinsky Violin Concerto'' and ''Symphony in Three Movements,'' both of which premiered on June 18, 1972.

After years of illness, Balanchine died on April 30, 1983 in New York City of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, diagnosed only after his death. He first showed symptoms during 1978 when he began losing his balance while dancing. As the disease progressed, his equilibrium, eyesight and hearing deteriorated. By 1982 he was incapacitated. The night of his death, the company went on with its scheduled performance which included ''Divertimeno No. 15'' and ''Symphony in C'' at Lincoln Center. In his last years, Balanchine also suffered from angina and underwent heart bypass surgery.

Legacy and honors

1978, Balanchine received the Kennedy Center Honors Award the first year the awards were given.

With his School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet, and 400 choreographed works, Balanchine transformed American dance and created modern ballet, developing a unique style with his dancers highlighted by brilliant speed and attack.

1987, posthumously inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame.

Presidential Freedom of Honor Medal.

Choreographed work

for the ''Ballets Russes''

''Le Chant du Rossignol'' (''The Song of the Nightingale'') (1925)

''Jack in the Box'' (1926)

''Pastorale'' (1926)

''Barabau'' (1926)

''La Chatte'' (1927)

''Le Triomphe de Neptune'' (1927)

''Apollo'' (1928)

''The Prodigal Son'' (1929)

''Le Bal'' (1929)

for the ''Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo''

''Cotillon'' (1932)

''Concurrence'' (1932)

''Balustrade'' (1941)

''Danses Concertantes'' (1944 and 1972)

''La Sonnambula'' (1946)

for ''Les Ballets 1933''

''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (1933)

''Errante'' (1933)

''Les Songes'' (1933)

''Fastes'' (1933)

for the American Ballet

''Alma Mater'' (1934)

''Les Songes'' (''Dreams'') (1934)

''Mozartiana'' (1934)

''Serenade'' (1935)

''Errante'' (1935)

''Reminiscence'' (1935)

''Jeu de cartes'' (variously, ''Card Game'' or ''The Card Party'') (1937)

''Le Baiser de la Fée'' (originally titled ''The Fairy's Kiss'') (1937)

for Broadway

''Ziegfeld Follies of 1936''

* ''Island in the West Indies''

* ''Maharanee''

''On Your Toes'' by Rodgers and Hart

* ''Princess Zenobia Ballet'' (1936)

* ''Slaughter on Tenth Avenue'' (1936)

:::''This dramatic ballet served as the climax of this musical production and has subsequently been presented as a stand-alone piece; however, several of the sung numbers in the show featured dance routines as well, notably the title number''.

* ''Where's Charley?'' -- Choreographer—Score—words and music—by Frank Loesser. Starred Ray Bolger From Oct 11, 1948 - Sept. 9, 1950

* ''Song of Norway'' -- Choreographer—Aug 21, 1944 - Sept 7, 19. Choreographer

* ''Cabin in the Sky'' -- Choreographer—Oct 25, 1940 - Mar 8, 1941

* ''Louisiana Purchase'' -- Choreographer—May 28, 1940 - June 14, 1941

* ''The Boys from Syracuse'' -- Choreographer—Nov 23, 1938 - Jun 10, 1939. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart

* ''I Married an Angel'' -- Choreographer—May 11, 1938 - Feb 25, 1939. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart

* ''Babes in Arms'' -- Choreographer—Apr 14, 1937 - Dec 18, 1937. Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart

for ''American Ballet Caravan''

''Encounter'' (1936)

''Ballet Imperial'' (later referred to as the ''Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2'') (1941)

''Concerto Barocco'' (1941)

for the ''Ballet del Teatro de Colón''

Mozart ''Violin Concerto'' (1942)

for the ''Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo''

''Song of Norway'' (1944)

''Danses Concertantes'' (1944)

''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (1944)

''Pas de Deux (Grand adagio)'' (1945)

''The Night Shadow'' (1946)

''Raymonda'' (1946)

for the ''Ballet Theatre''

Waltz Academy (1944)

''Theme and Variations'' (1947)

for the Ballet Society

''The Four Temperaments'' (1946)

''L'enfant et Les Sortilèges'' (''The Spellbound Child'') (1946)

''Haieff Divertimento'' (1947)

''Symphonie Concertante'' (1947)

''Orpheus'' (1948)

for the Paris Opera Ballet

''Palais de Cristal'' (renamed ''Symphony in C'') (1947)

for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas''

''Minkus Pas De Trois'' (1948)

Le Lourve de fait(1948)

for New York City Ballet

''La Sonnambula'' (1946)

''Bourrée Fantasque'' (1949)

''The Firebird'' (1949; later revised with Jerome Robbins)

''Sylvia Pas De Deux'' (1950)

''Swan Lake'' (after Lev Ivanov)'' (1951)

''La Valse'' (1951)

''Harlequinade Pas De Deux'' (1952)

''Scotch Symphony'' (1952)

''Valse Fantaisie'' (1953/1967)

''The Nutcracker'' (1954)

''Ivesiana'' (1954)

''Western Symphony'' (1954)

''Glinka Pas De Trois'' (1955)

''Pas De Dix'' (1955)

''Divertimento No. 15'' (1956)

''Allegro Brillante'' (1956)

''Agon'' (1957)

''Square Dance'' (1957)

''Gounod Symphony'' (1958)

''Stars and Stripes'' (a ballet in 5 "campaigns")' (1958)

''Episodes'' (1959)

''Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux'' (1960)

''Monumentum pro Gesualdo'' (1960)

''Donizetti Variations'' (1960)

''Liebeslieder Walzer'' (1960)

''Raymonda Variations'' (1961)

''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1962)

''Bugaku'' (1963)

''Meditation'' (1963)

''Movements for Piano and Orchestra'' (1963)

''Harlequinade'' (1965)

''Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet'' (1966)

''Jewels'' (1967)

* ''Emeralds''

* ''Rubies''

* ''Diamonds''

''La Source'' (1968)

''Who Cares'' (1970)

''Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3'' (1970)

Stravinsky Festival (1972)

* ''Pulcinella'' (with Jerome Robbins)

* ''Stravinsky Violin Concerto''

* ''Symphony in Three Movements''

* ''Duo Concertant''

* ''Lost Sonata''

* ''Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la fée"''

* ''Choral Variations on Bach's "Vom Himmel Hoch"''

* ''Danses Concertantes''

* ''Scherzo Á La Russe''

''Cortège Hongrois'' (1973)

''Coppélia'' (1974)

''Variations pour une porte et un soupir'' (1974)

Ravel Festival (1975)

* ''Sonatine''

* ''Tzigane''

* ''Le tombeau de Couperin''

* ''Pavane''

* ''Shéhérazade''

* ''Gaspard de la Nuit''

* ''Rapsodie Espagnole''

''The Steadfast Tin Soldier'' (1975)

''Chaconne'' (1976)

''Union Jack'' (1976)

''Vienna Waltzes'' (1977)

''Ballo della Regina'' (1978)

''Kammermusik No. 2'' (1978)

''Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze'' (1980)

''Walpurgisnacht Ballet'' (1980)

Tschaikovsky Festival (1981)

* ''Garland Dance'' from ''The Sleeping Beauty''

* ''Mozartiana''

Stravinsky Centennial Celebration (1982)

* ''Élégie''

for New York City Opera

''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'' (1979)

Notes

Further reading

See also

List of ballets by George Balanchine

List of Eastern Bloc defectors

:Category:Ballets by George Balanchine

Articles

Anna Kisselgoff, June 30, 2003">NY Times by Anna Kisselgoff, June 30, 2003

The New York Review of Books'', volume 55, number 15, by Robert Gottlieb, October 9, 2008">"Keeper of the Jewels", ''The New York Review of Books'', volume 55, number 15, by Robert Gottlieb, October 9, 2008

Obituaries

Anna Kisselgoff, May 1, 1983">Sunday NY Times by Anna Kisselgoff, May 1, 1983

External links

George Balanchine Trust website

SAB website

NYCB website

George Balanchine Foundation website

"George Balanchine: Master of the Dance", ''American Masters'', PBS, 14 January 2004

Archive film of George Balanchine's Firebird performed by Maria Tallchief and Michael Maule in 1951 at Jacob's Pillow

IMDb George Balanchine

Listening

Art of the States: Dreams A recording of George Antheil's score for the Balanchine ballet

Category:Soviet defectors Category:Russian choreographers Category:Russian ballet dancers Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:People from Saint Petersburg Category:New York City Ballet Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Ballet dancers from Georgia (country) Category:American people of Georgian (country) descent Category:Danseurs Category:Ballet teachers Category:Ballet masters Category:Ballet choreographers Category:Ballets Russes choreographers Category:Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo choreographers Category:1983 deaths Category:1904 births Category:National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame inductees Category:Deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Category:Infectious disease deaths in New York Category:Handel Medallion recipients Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States Category:Choreographers of New York City Ballet Category:Choreographers of American Ballet Theatre *George Balanchine

bg:Джордж Баланчин ca:George Balanchine da:George Balanchine de:George Balanchine et:George Balanchine es:George Balanchine fr:George Balanchine gl:George Balanchine hr:George Balanchine it:George Balanchine he:ג'ורג' בלנשיין ka:ჯორჯ ბალანჩინი nl:George Balanchine ja:ジョージ・バランシン no:George Balanchine pl:George Balanchine pt:George Balanchine ru:Баланчин, Джордж simple:George Balanchine fi:George Balanchine sv:George Balanchine uk:Джордж Баланчин

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Kenneth MacMillan
birth date	December 11, 1929
birth place	Dunfermline, Scotland
death date	October 29, 1992
death place	London, England
occupation	Choreographer, dancer
spouse	Deborah Williams (1972-1992)
olivierawards	Best New Dance Production1993 ''The Judas Tree''Society of London Theatre Special Award 1993
tonyawards	Best Choreography1994 ''Carousel'' }}

Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977.

Biography

Early years

MacMillan was born at Dunfermline, Scotland. He grew up in Great Yarmouth, where he studied with Phyllis Adams. Later he won a scholarship to the Sadler's Wells Ballet School, where he studied for a year before, in 1946, joining Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, now known as Birmingham Royal Ballet. Whilst studying, he met and gained the support of Ninette de Valois, something he was to enjoy wholeheartedly for the rest of his life. In 1948 he moved to the Sadler's Wells Ballet, but returned to the Theatre Ballet four years later.

Career

MacMillan began choreographing for the company's choreographic group and two promising early works, ''Somnambulism'' (1953) and ''Laiderette'' (1954) led de Valois to commission a work from the 25-year-old MacMillan. ''Danses concertantes'' was first produced in January 1955. He continued to dance, but gradually gave it up in favour of his true vocation. A string of successful works followed including ''Solitaire'' (1956), ''The Burrow'' (1958), ''Le baiser de la fée'' and ''The Invitation'' (1960), ''The Rite of Spring'' (1962), ''La Création du monde'' (1964) ''The Song of the Earth'' and his first full-length work, ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1965). The year he choreographed ''Romeo and Juliet'', which has become one of his best-loved pieces, he was appointed resident choreographer at The Royal Ballet.

MacMillan was the director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin ballet from 1966 to 1969, and was made director of The Royal Ballet in 1970. He continued to choreograph and produced a string of masterpieces: ''Valses nobles et sentimentales'' (1966), ''Anastasia'' (one-act version 1967, three-act version 1971), ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (1973), ''Manon'' and ''Elite Syncopations'' (1974), ''Requiem'' (1976), ''Mayerling'' (1978), ''Isadora'' (1981), ''The Prince of the Pagodas'' (1989) and ''The Judas Tree'' (1992). In 1977, aged only 48, he retired as director and took up the position of principal choreographer for The Royal Ballet. He was knighted in 1983.

Personal life

MacMillan died of a heart attack on 29 October 1992 while backstage at Covent Garden during a revival of his ''Mayerling''. Jeremy Isaacs, the general director of the Royal Opera House, announced the death from the stage after the performance and asked the audience to "please rise and bow your heads and leave the theatre in silence". That same evening, Birmingham Royal Ballet was dancing his ''Romeo and Juliet'' in Birmingham. He is remembered as one of the great choreographers of the twentieth century who was unafraid of confronting controversial issues in his ballets (for example ''The Invitation'' and ''The Judas Tree''). He often dwelled on the darker side of human nature and sexuality and some of his works centred on characters who would be considered outsiders in modern society. At the same time, ballets such as ''Elite Syncopations'' showed that he was capable of creating works of great wit and charm.

He was married to the painter and sculptor Deborah Williams, with whom he had a daughter Charlotte, a photographer, and both continue to oversee continuing productions of his work.

Choreography

Although a talented dancer, MacMillan is best known for his choreography, and particularly for his work with the Royal Ballet. He also worked with the American Ballet Theatre (1956-7) and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin (1966–69). He succeeded Frederick Ashton as Director of the Royal Ballet in 1970 and resigned after seven years, frustrated at balancing the conflicting demands of creating ballets with administration. He continued as Principal Choreographer to the Royal Ballet until his death in 1992.

His full-length works include:

''Romeo and Juliet'' [1965] — made for Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, but the premiere was danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev

''Anastasia'' — made for Lynn Seymour

''Manon'' — made for Antoinette Sibley and Jennifer Penney

''Mayerling''

''Isadora''

''The Prince of the Pagodas'' [1989] — made for Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope.

MacMillan's one-act ballets include:

''Danses Concertantes'' — commissioned by Dame Ninette de Valois in 1955

''Different Drummer''

''The Invitation'' — made for Lynn Seymour and Christoper Gable, 1960

''The Rite of Spring'' — made for Monica Mason

''Elite Syncopations''

''My Brother, My Sisters''

''La Fin du Jour''

''Valley of Shadows'' — made for Alessandra Ferri

''Gloria''

''Noctambules''

''Song of the Earth''

''Solitaire''

''Requiem''

''Winter Dreams'' — based on Anton Chekhov's "Three Sisters"

''The Judas Tree'' 1992 — his last ballet, made for Viviana Durante and Irek Mukhamedov.

References

Jann Parry (2009). ''Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth MacMillan''. London, Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-24302-0

External links

Biographer Jann Parry talking about Kenneth MacMillan's legacy in a video interview

Category:Administrators of The Royal Ballet Category:Choreographers of The Royal Ballet Category:1929 births Category:1992 deaths Category:Anglo-Scots Category:Ballet choreographers Category:Danseurs Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Olivier Award winners Category:People from Dunfermline Category:Scottish ballet dancers Category:Scottish choreographers Category:Tony Award winners Category:People educated at Great Yarmouth Grammar School

ca:Kenneth MacMillan de:Kenneth MacMillan es:Kenneth MacMillan fr:Kenneth MacMillan it:Kenneth MacMillan ja:ケネス・マクミラン ru:Макмиллан, Кеннет

Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE (17 September 190418 October 1988) was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.

Early life

Ashton was born at Guayaquil in Ecuador, in the artistic neighbourhood called Las Peñas, the original founding site of the city.

When he was 13 he witnessed a life-changing event when he attended a performance by the legendary Anna Pavlova in the Municipal Theater in Lima, Peru. He was so impressed that from that day on he was determined that he would become a dancer.

Career

In 1919 he went to England to attend Dover College and then to study under the famous Léonide Massine and established a working relationship with the ballet troupe belonging to Marie Rambert and Ninette de Valois. His aim was to become a great dancer, but his late introduction to dancing and slight physique made this a highly difficult ambition to fulfill. However, Rambert discovered Ashton's aptitude for choreography and allowed him to choreograph his first ballet, ''The Tragedy of Fashion'', in 1926, starting a tremendously successful career as a choreographer.

He began his career with the Ballet Rambert which was originally called The Ballet Club. He rose to fame with Vic-Wells Ballet (later to become the Sadler's Wells Ballet before it was designated The Royal Ballet), becoming its resident choreographer in the 1930s. Work from this decade that has stayed in repertory includes ''Les Patineurs'', ''Les Rendezvous'', and ''A Wedding Bouquet''.

World War II inspired Ashton to create some works along more sombre lines, including ''Dante Sonata'' (recently reconstructed after having been thought lost), and after the war he turned to plotless ballet, with such works as ''Symphonic Variations'' and ''Scènes de ballet''.

The end of the war saw his first major three-act ballet for a British company, his version of Sergei Prokofiev's ''Cinderella'' (1948), which was followed by ''Sylvia'' (1952), and ''Ondine'' (1958), with choreography created especially to display Margot Fonteyn's unique talents and music by Hans Werner Henze. While ''Ondine'' was a vehicle for Fonteyn, ''Marguerite and Armand'' displayed the excellence of Fonteyn's partnership with Rudolf Nureyev. His version of ''La fille mal gardée'' was particularly successful, and his broad ''travesti'' performances as one of two comic Ugly Stepsisters in ''Cinderella'', the other being Robert Helpmann, were annual events for many years.

Ashton was Director of the Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970. He brought new works by Antony Tudor to the company, as well as guaranteeing the survival of several of Bronislava Nijinska's ballets by having her mount ''Les Noces'' and ''Les Biches''. Two important revivals of George Balanchine's works also marked Ashton's time as Director.

He also enjoyed a productive career away from ballet as a choreographer for films, revues, and musicals. His work in opera included, in 1953, directing Kathleen Ferrier in Gluck's ''Orpheus and Eurydice'' at Covent Garden. In 1971, Ashton performed the role of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle in the Royal Ballet film ''The Tales of Beatrix Potter'', which he also choreographed.

He died in 1988 at his home, Chandos Lodge, in Eye, Suffolk, England.

Personal life

Ashton was a great friend of the Paget family and was a frequent visit to the family seat at Plas Newydd; it was here that one of the Paget daughters, Lady Rose fell hopelessly in love with him; he rebuffed her advances and at one point returned her letters - after having corrected her spelling. Despite this, they remained friends.

Ashton's nephew, Anthony Russell-Roberts, was Administrative Director of The Royal Ballet from 1983 to 2009.

Honours

Ashton received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from the Royal Academy of Dance in 1959. In 1962, he was knighted for his services to ballet. He was admitted into the French Légion d'honneur in the same year. He was made a Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1963, and was awarded the Gold Medal from the Carina Aria Foundation in Sweden in 1972.

Notes

References

''Frederick Ashton (1904-1988 Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet''. John Percival, for ''Royal Opera House's'' magazine produced for December 2007 production of ''Les Patineurs'' and ''Tales of Beatrix Potter''.

Further reading

''Frederick Ashton: a choreographer and his ballets'' by Zoë Dominic and John Selwyn Gilbert. London: Harrap, 1971. ISBN-X

''Frederick Ashton and his ballets'' by David Vaughan. London: A. and C. Black, 1977. ISBN-X

''Secret Muses: The Life of Frederick Ashton'' by Julie Kavanagh. London: Faber, 1996. ISBN

''Following Sir Fred's Steps: Ashton's Legacy'' edited by Stephanie Jordan and Andrée Grau. London: Dance Books, 1996. ISBN (also available in an online edition - see below)

''A network of Styles: Discovering the Choreographed Movement of Frederick Ashton'' by Geraldine Morris. University of Surrey, 2000.

External links

Ballet.co Ashton pages

Following Sir Fred's Steps

Parents

Frederick Ashton's "Cinderella" ballet

David Vaughan's chronology of Ashton ballets

Notes on the 'Fred Step' by Alastair Macaulay

Dover College

Danceview's Ashton Archive

Tutu Revue essay by Clive Barnes

Rambert Dance Company's Ashton pages

London Theatre Museum's Ashton pages

Archive film of Frederick Ashton's Thais Pas de Deux performed by Nina Ananiashvili and David Ananeli in 2010 at Jacob's Pillow

Category:Administrators of The Royal Ballet Category:Ballet choreographers Category:Choreographers of The Royal Ballet Category:English ballet dancers Category:Danseurs Category:Opera directors Category:1904 births Category:1988 deaths Category:Old Dovorians Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:National Dance Award winners Category:People from Eye, Suffolk Category:English choreographers Frederick Ashton

ca:Frederick Ashton de:Frederick Ashton es:Frederick Ashton fr:Frederick Ashton gl:Frederick Ashton it:Frederick Ashton nl:Frederick Ashton ja:フレデリック・アシュトン sv:Frederick Ashton uk:Фредерік Ештон