Masters at Work: Balanchine & Robbins III

Two piquantly contrasted works by Balanchine are joined by a treasured Robbins classic. Raymonda Variations features dances of “indescribable happiness” and “simple deftness,” as one critic wrote, and includes subtle nods to the choreography of the Marius Petipa story ballet of the title, although it is a plotless work. Agon, one of Balanchine’s supreme collaborations with Stravinsky, was inspired by classic French dance steps, but reimagines and...