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In Balanchine's Shadow

In Balanchine's Shadow


"Divertimento No. 15,” “Zakouski,” “Composer’s Holiday,” “Heatscape”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 26, 2026


If nothing else, a program that started with George Balanchine's enthralling "Divertimento No. 15" and ended with Justin Peck's "Heatscape" showed how far away from its foundation the company has traveled with its repertory.  The distance was thrown into sharp relief by what came between: Peter Martins's "Zakouski," which felt experimental by comparison, and Gianna Reisen's "Composer's

By Marianne Adams
Two Ways of Listening

Two Ways of Listening


"Concerto Barocco,” “The Goldberg Variations”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 16, 2026


There is a particular clarity that comes when NYCB programs its two founders together, and when they share a single composer, the company's bedrocks come into clear focus.  The All Bach evening set Balanchine's stripped-down, mathematically precise “Concerto Barocco” against Robbins's studied and at times theatrical “Goldberg Variations” – one choreographer distilling Bach's nuance in movement, the other testing what could

By Marianne Adams
A Glimpse of the Future

A Glimpse of the Future


"La Sylphide" (excerpts), "au début", "Un Petit Menuet", "Rosine", "Tritsch Tratsch Polka", "Der Rosenkavalier", "Élégie from Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3", "Bizet Volé", "Petite Suite Ballet", "Dreamers"
Ballet Academy East 2026 Spring Performance
The Kaye Playhouse
New York, NY
May 29, 2026


The 2026 Spring performance of the New York based Ballet Academy East was dedicated to Francis Patrelle who had taught at the Academy for over 40 years, showing his sweeping choreography set to the waltz of “Der Rosenkavalier”. 

By Mary Cargill
Can't Rain on Her Parade

Can't Rain on Her Parade


"Coppélia"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 24, 2026


Though the dreary, rainy Memorial Day weekend weather didn’t cooperate, the theatre was warm and sunny, as Megan Fairchild said goodbye to NYCB dancing a bright, confident, and luscious Swanilda.  As I was leaving, I overheard a man saying this was his first ballet and why on earth was she retiring—a question anyone in the audience might have asked, as Fairchild sailed

By Mary Cargill
Faster, Higher, Stronger

Faster, Higher, Stronger


"La Bayadere (Pas D’Action),” “Variations For Three,” “An American in Paris,” “Saudade,” “Cornbread,” "Cerulean Skies," “Grand Pas Classique,” “The Weeping Willow,” “Bernstein in a Bubble”
ABT Studio Company
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
May 13, 2026


In a program of varied works, the ABT Studio Company showed a bench of talent ready to outjump, outturn and technically eclipse the main company’s roster.  The artistry and emotional range of these young dancers still need work, but the

By Marianne Adams
Missing Alchemy

Missing Alchemy


“Untitled, 2023,” “Yugen,” “Quantum Souls”
Wayne McGregor: Alchemies
The Royal Ballet
The Royal Opera House
London, United Kingdom
May 1, 2026


Most creators, even of the genius sort, cannot produce exclusively masterpieces, and The Royal Ballet’s evening of three Wayne McGregor works titled “Alchemies” was an example of that humbling notion: a sampling of ballets from the creative incubator that generates great art, united by musical experimentation and abstraction, but ultimately unable to fully alchemize into gold.  On

By Marianne Adams
Two Violins and a Saxophone

Two Violins and a Saxophone


"Opus 19/The Dreamer", "Standard Deviation", "Symphonie Espagnole"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 12 and May 17, 2026


All three ballets in the program, entitled Eclectic NYCB, were set to music featuring guest soloists.  The music ranged from the 19th century (Édouard Lalo’s “Symphony Espangnole” for Tiler Peck’s new work, the 20th century (Prokofiev’s “Violin Concerto No. 1, op. 19” for Robbins’ “Opus 19/The Dreamer”) and the 21st

By Mary Cargill
Mama Anabella

Mama Anabella


Distance / decay / by Pioneers Go East Collective
Anabella Lenzu, choreographer/performance artist
Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, director & filmmaker
LaMama Experimental Theatre Club
New York, New York
May 8, 2026


In the unlikely event that women ever achieve equal rights in America, someone should put up a statue of Anabella Lenzu. In her new solo, she dances the full scope of humanity in female form.

Distance /decay / begins in captivity. To a sound track of solitary, sad poetry by

By Tom Phillips
Voices and Visions

Voices and Visions


"Voices", "In Memory of...", "Diamonds"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 8, 2026


The evening’s performance had works by Ratmansky, Robbins, and Balanchine, and though none showed them at their finest, it did show that craft and imagination, plus very good dancing, can be rewarding.  Ratmansky’s “Voices” is rather austere opening work, an experiment in movement to pure sound without melody or clear rhythm; ironically the biggest applause went to the

By Mary Cargill
Dark to Light

Dark to Light


"Continuum", "Each in Their Own Time", "Distant Cries", "Concerto DSCH"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
May 1, 2026


NYCB’s programming has had some ups and downs this season, and this program, called forthrightly “Contemporary Choreography III” (Contemporary Choreography I and II were danced in the Fall and Winter seasons respectively so it seems that one contemporary collection a season is allotted), opened with three rather dark and knotty works, which, perhaps coincidentally, were

By Mary Cargill
Dancers' Holiday

Dancers' Holiday


"Divertimento No. 15", "Zakouski", "Composer's Holiday", "Heatscape"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
April 29, 2026


This evening’s program, one pas de deux (Peter Martins’ “Zakouski”) and three longer works (Balanchine’s sublime “Divertimento No. 15”, and two newer works by younger choreographers (Gianna Reisen’s “Composer’s Holiday” and Justin Peck’s “Heatscape”), seemed to be designed to show off the company’s current impressive collection of dancers. “Zakouski” celebrated the soon to

By Mary Cargill