(1904–83), US ballet dancer and choreographer; born in Russia; born Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze. He was chief choreographer of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes during the 1920s, and in 1934 he cofounded the company that later became the New York City Ballet. Notable ballets: The Firebird (1949) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962).