All three books tell the same story , of an eagerly ambitious , desperately insecure boy who was torn about his Jewish heritage and his love and lust for men , who named names to the House Un-American Activities Committee but remained an admired dancer and went on to become a world-famous ballet choreographer , the director and choreographer of some of the great midcentury musicals , to experiment with vanguard arts and finally to settle into an autumnal old age -LRB- he died in 1998 -RRB- as George Balanchine 's junior partner at the New York City Ballet .