Traces the history of the ballet school founded by George Balanchine, explains how the school came about, and discusses its influence on modern ballet In 1933, as a recent Harvard graduate, Lincoln Kirstein invited George Balanchine, a young Russian choreographer and dancer then working in Europe, to start a U.S. company. With the famous response, ``But first a school,'' Balanchine was committed. The School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet were the achievements of that liaison. Though much has been written about the company, Dunning has done a service by describing the 50-year history of the school, the life support of the company and the spawning ground for dancers and choreographers in many major companies. The chapters on the Ford Foundation and the Balanchine ``style'' are especially interesting. This behind-the-scenes look at ballet will appeal to balletomanes and prospective students. Joan Stahl, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.