Who Cares? (ballet) Who Cares? (ballet) Who Cares? is a ballet made by New York City Ballet's co-founder and founding choreographer George Balanchine to the songs of George Gershwin in an orchestration by Hershy Kay. The premiere took place on Saturday, February 7, 1970, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center with costumes by Barbara Karinska and lighting by Ronald Bates; it was at first performed without décor but from November 1970 with scenery by Jo Mielziner. The conductor was Robert Irving and the pianist on opening night Gordon Boelzner; the orchestration had only been completed for two songs, "Strike Up the
Kansas City Ballet of the 1969-70 season, Solov returned to Kansas City to create and present three world premiere ballets with the KCB: The World I Knew (set to Massenet's Scenes Alsaciennes), Zygosis, and Divertissement. Lead roles in the first piece were danced by New York City Ballet guest artists Jacques d'Amboise and Melissa Hayden. For the spring 1970 performance, the KCB presented the ballet Laurencia, staged by guest artists. In 1970, the mayor of Kansas City, Ilus Winfield Davis proclaimed a special “Civic Ballet Week." During the 1970-1971 season, the company name changed back to Kansas City Ballet. In the spring of