Pronunciation: /ˈbalənʃiːn, -tʃiːn/
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(1904–83), Russian-born American ballet dancer and choreographer; born Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze. He was chief choreographer of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes during the 1920s, and in 1934 he co-founded the company which later became the New York City Ballet.