Dance Review by Clive Barnes

Tchaikovsky - the Peter Ilyich of that name - is not precisely unknown in the annals of ballet. Indeed, if Tchaikovsky had not existed, ballet doubtless would have had to have invented him, and there are times when I think it did. Only joking.

This season American Ballet Theater has come up with a shrewd marketing move. New York City Ballet may have its all - Balanchine and all - Robbins programs, but ABT is countering with its all - Tchaikovsky sugarplum programs - as if «Swan Lake», «The Nutcracker», and «The Sleeping Beauty» were not sugarplums enough.

Well, it seems as if they almost are enough. For in the first of the all - Tchaikovsky galas, given at the Metropolitan Opera House on Friday night, all but the opening ballet - George Balanchine’s «Ballet Imperial», set to the music of the Second Piano Concerto - were taken, one way or another, from the Big Three classics.

But, as the ABT management has shrewdly noted, by giving a program of Tchaikovsky bits and pieces, not only can you offer highlights from the repertory to well - loved music - without any embarrassing fairy - story stories - you also get almost all your stars on stage in one night. Which is bargain time!