New York City Ballet

"The Exchange", "Judah", "The Runaway"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, NY
September 27, 2018

New York City Ballet's 2018 fall gala followed a familiar pattern: three new ballets with costumes by three fashion designers preceded by a brief film focusing on some of the issues these designers had working with ballet dancers for the first time.  There was one difference; the evening opened with the entire company on the stage listening

“Concerto Barocco,” “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux,” “Stravinsky Violin Concerto,” “Symphony in C”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
September 21, 2018

The first Friday night of the Fall season at New York City Ballet felt like a breath of fresh air. Not that everything was perfect – far from it, the principal dancing in particular alternated tours de force in some ballets with slack efforts or curious interpretations in others. But taken as a whole

“Jewels”
New York City Ballet
David Koch Theater
New York, New York
September 23, 2018

New York City Ballet presented performances of George Balanchine’s “Jewels” over the past week, with a young cast taking major roles in the “Emeralds” section on Sunday. Each of the three ballets that makes up “Jewels” shows a different aspect of Balanchine’s major stylistic interests. “Diamonds” looks to his Russian heritage, “Rubies” to his American experience, and “Emeralds” to a neo-romantic mode

"Jewels"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
September 19, 2018

The second night of New York City Ballet's fall season featured several debuts in the ever-popular "Jewels", as well as luminous performances by the established gems, Tiler Peck, Sterling Hyltin, and Sara Mearns.  Though not credited, Mimi Paul, Patricia McBride, and Edward Villella  provided some extra coaching, and presumably they deserve some of the credit for the delicate

"Concerto Barocco", "Agon", "The Four Temperaments"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 3, 2018

The final performance of New York City Ballet's spring season had several debut and farewell performances, and in the case of corps member Cameron Dieck's role in "Agon", both happened at once.  Long-time soloist Savannah Lowery said goodbye dancing the second violin in "Concerto Barocco" and the Bransle Gay in "Agon"; it is

"Coppélia"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
June 1, 2018

by Mary Cargill
copyright © 2018 by Mary Cargill

Ashley Bouder's first "Coppélia" was part of a busy final week of New York City Ballet's Spring season, which saw a number of debuts, including that of her Frantz, Joseph Gordon.  With her forthright stage presence and radiant classical technique, Bouder would seemingly have been a natural for the spunky

"Coppélia"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 25, 2018

Though New York City Ballet is renowned for its one-act plotless ballets, it is exceptionally satisfying to watch a character (and a dancer) develop and change over several acts, as Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz showed in their magnificent "Coppélia".  Story ballets also give dancers a chance to show that ballet is richer than a collection of steps and

Taking it Easy

"The Four Seasons", "Circus Polka", "Easy", "A Suite of Dances", "Something to Dance About"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
May 3, 2018

New York City Ballet's Spring gala celebrated Jerome Robbins' 100 birthday with three of his works, a premiere by Justin Peck, and a lavish compilation of Robbins' Broadway choreography.  Maria Kowroski introduced the evening with a gracious speech and reminded the audience that she is the

"Romeo + Juliet"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
February 21, 2018.

Like Tchaikovsky's final act music for "Swan Lake" Prokofiev's score for "Romeo and Juliet" has protected a number of choreographers by providing a rich emotional resonance no matter how lame the choreography. Fortunately for Peter Martins' "Romeo + Juliet" the balcony scene and suicide music always wraps the audience around the drama and his ballet, despite its repetitive, hyperactive steps and bizarre

"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

"The Nutcracker"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, New York
December 5, 2017.

The enduring charm of Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" continues to light up the stage with its combination of the Maryinsky of his youth (the little Nutcracker's mime, the hoop dance, the floating arabesque trick, the snowflake's pom poms, and the magical tree that all came from the Russian version) and the more daring style of his own company (notably in the