“Romeo + Juliet”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 13, 2018

Peter Martins’ version of “Romeo and Juliet,” which premiered in 2007, was never an inspired production. Titling the work “Romeo + Juliet,” Martins went on to whittle down the narrative to two compressed acts, never worrying much about logic, let alone nuance. But that is all water under the bridge. As most of the dance world knows, Martins, heretofore ballet master in chief of

“Divertimento No. 15,” “The Four Temperaments,” “Chaconne”
New York City Ballet
The David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
January 30, 2018

The winter 2018 season of the New York City ballet opened with two all-Balanchine programs back to back. During that first week the air in the Koch Theater was suffused with a combination of relief and jubilation. The company was back, having lived through the retirement of Peter Martins, its longest serving artistic director, and Balanchine

"The Red Violin", "dance odyssey", "Russian Seasons"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 1, 2018.

New York City Ballet's New Combinations Fund, inspired by Balanchine's quote "There are no new steps, only new combi- nations", funds new choreography, and supported Peter Walker's new ballet "dance odyssey" which premiered between Peter Martins' "The Red Violin" and Alexei Ratmansky's "Russian Seasons". Both of those works were choreographed in 2006 as part

"Apollo", "Mozartiana", "Cortège Hongrois"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
January 27, 2018, matinee.

The all-Balanchine program began with "Apollo", the oldest Balanchine work danced by New York City ballet (though Balanchine did rework the 1928 ballet in 1979, stripping it of its Expressionistic prologue), followed by "Mozartiana", choreographed in 1981, his last major work.  It ended with the bon-bon "Cortège Hongrois" from 1973, with its generous helping of Petipa, a

“Divertimento No. 15,” “The Four Temperaments,” “Chaconne”
New York City Ballet
The David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
January 24, 2018

New York City Ballet entered its interregnum this week dancing two straight all Balanchine programs. Programmed by Peter Martins before his resignation, they now serve to emphasize continuity between the reigns in a way Martins probably didn’t imagine. It’s neither the new world (and won’t be until a replacement for him is named) nor