New York City Ballet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New York City Ballet |
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| General information | |
| Name | New York City Ballet |
| Previous names |
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| Year founded | 1948 |
| Founders | |
| Founding choreographers | |
| Principal venue | |
| Website | www.nycballet.com |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Jonathan Stafford (and Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director) |
| Ballet Master | Rosemary Dunleavy |
| Music Director | Andrew Litton |
| Other | |
| Orchestra | The New York City Ballet Orchestra |
| Official school | School of American Ballet |
| Associated schools | |
| Formation |
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The New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a famous ballet company. It was started in 1948 by two important people: choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are known as the main choreographers who helped create the company's style. The company grew from earlier dance groups like the American Ballet and the Ballet Society.
Contents
Discovering the History of NYCB
In 1946, Lincoln Kirstein wanted to help George Balanchine create the ballet company he dreamed of. Kirstein was the company's General Director from 1946 to 1989. He was very good at organizing and raising money to keep the company going.
The company officially became the New York City Ballet in 1948. They found a home at the New York City Center. Later, they moved to a bigger and better theater, the New York State Theater. This theater is now called the David H. Koch Theater. It was designed by Philip Johnson with Balanchine's ideas in mind.
NYCB was the first ballet company in the United States to have two main homes. One is at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The other is at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. The School of American Ballet (S.A.B.), which Balanchine also started, is where many of the company's dancers train.
After moving to the State Theater, Balanchine created many new ballets. These became the core of the company's performances until he passed away in 1983. He also worked closely with choreographer Jerome Robbins. Robbins rejoined the company in 1969 after working on Broadway shows.
NYCB still has the largest collection of ballets of any American company. They often perform 60 or more ballets each year in New York City. They also perform about 20 ballets during their summer season in Saratoga Springs. Some famous ballets they have performed include The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Many talented dancers have trained and performed with the New York City Ballet.
Special Ballet Festivals
The New York City Ballet has celebrated many famous composers with special festivals. These events showcased new and classic ballets set to their music.
Honoring Italian Composers
In 1960, Balanchine created Salute to Italy. This festival featured new ballets like Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Donizetti Variations. They also performed older works. This special event was repeated in 1968.
Celebrating Stravinsky
In 1972, Balanchine organized an eight-day festival to honor the composer Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky was a great friend and collaborator who had passed away the year before. The festival included 22 new ballets by Balanchine and works by other choreographers. Balanchine created Symphony in Three Movements and Duo Concertant for this event. He and Robbins even danced together in Pulcinella.
A Tribute to Ravel
In 1975, Balanchine honored the French composer Maurice Ravel with a two-week festival called Hommage à Ravel. Balanchine, Robbins, and other choreographers created 16 new ballets. Highlights included Balanchine's Le Tombeau de Couperin and Robbins' Mother Goose.
The Tschaikovsky Festival
In 1981, Balanchine planned a two-week festival for the Russian composer Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky. Many choreographers created new dances for this event. Balanchine also re-choreographed his ballet Mozartiana. The stage was designed with special lighting to change throughout the festival.
Stravinsky's 100th Birthday
In 1982, Balanchine organized another celebration for Igor Stravinsky's 100th birthday. The City Ballet performed 25 ballets set to Stravinsky's music. Balanchine created three new ballets for this occasion. He passed away the next year.
New York State Theater's 20th Anniversary
On April 26, 1984, NYCB celebrated 20 years of performing at the New York State Theater. The program included music by Stravinsky and famous ballets by Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Many well-known dancers performed that night.
Peter Martins' Leadership
After Balanchine's death in 1983, Peter Martins became the balletmaster of the company. He led the company for 30 years. Martins helped keep the New York City Ballet financially strong and maintained the high quality of the dancers. He retired from his role in 2018.
American Music Festival
For the company's 40th anniversary, Martins held an American Music Festival. He asked many choreographers to create new dances. The festival included over 20 world premieres. Martins himself created several new ballets for this event.
Jerome Robbins Celebration
In Spring 2008, the company held a big celebration for Jerome Robbins. They performed many of his important ballets, including Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, and Dances at a Gathering.
Dancers' Choice Performances
On June 27, 2008, the first Dancers' Choice benefit was held. This special performance was organized by the dancers themselves to raise money for the Dancers' Emergency Fund. It featured various ballets and excerpts. A second Dancers' Choice benefit was held on June 14, 2009, featuring Sleeping Beauty and Union Jack.
How NYCB Performs
NYCB performs in the fall, winter, and spring at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. They also perform George Balanchine's Nutcracker every November and December. In the summer, they have a residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and often tour to other countries.
Before some performances, there are "First Position Discussions." These talks help people learn about the ballet they are about to see. "Inside NYCB" events explore the company's history and how it works, often with dancers and staff.
NYCB also has programs for younger audiences. "Family Saturdays" are interactive programs for children aged 5 and up. "Children's Workshops" and "In Motion Workshops" are pre-performance activities for kids to explore the music and themes of a ballet. For adults, "Ballet Essentials" offers a ballet class for those with little dance experience. NYCB dancers help lead all these programs.
Affordable Tickets for Young People
New York City Ballet offers special tickets for $30 to certain performances. These tickets are for people aged 13 to 30. You can buy them at the box office, online, or by phone. Sales for each week's performances start on Monday morning.
NYCB used to have a "Fourth Ring Society" that offered discounted tickets. This program was later renamed "Society NYCB" to offer discounted seats in more parts of the theater.
New York Choreographic Institute
The City Ballet's Choreographic Institute was started in 2000. It helps choreographers by giving them dancers and studio space to create new works. It also gives awards to new choreographers and hosts discussions about choreography, music, and design.
NYCB Dancers
NYCB has many talented dancers. They are divided into different levels: Principal Dancers, Soloists, and Corps de Ballet.
Principal Dancers
These are the lead dancers in the company. They perform the main roles in ballets.
| Name | Nationality | Training | Joined NYCB | Promoted to Principal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Angle |  United States |
Allegheny Ballet Academy School of American Ballet |
2004 | 2009 |
| Gilbert Bolden III | Idyllwild Arts Academy The Rock School for Dance Education School of American Ballet |
2017 | 2025 | |
| Chun Wai Chan |  China |
Guangzhou Art School (China) Houston Ballet Academy (Houston Ballet II) |
2021 | 2022 |
| Adrian Danchig-Waring | United States |
Dance Theatre Seven School of American Ballet |
2003 | 2013 |
| Megan Fairchild | Dance Concepts Ballet West Conservatory School of American Ballet |
2002 | 2005 | |
| Jovani Furlan |  Brazil |
Bolshoi Theater School (Brazil) Miami City Ballet School |
2019 | 2022 |
| Emilie Gerrity | United States |
Betty Jean's Dance Studio New Paltz School of Ballet School of American Ballet |
2010 | 2023 |
| Joseph Gordon | Phoenix Dance Academy School of American Ballet |
2012 | 2018 | |
| Anthony Huxley | School of American Ballet San Francisco Ballet School Contra Costa Ballet School |
2007 | 2015 | |
| Isabella LaFreniere | Southold Dance Theatre Joffrey Academy of Dance School of American Ballet |
2014 | 2023 | |
| Sara Mearns | Calvert-Brodie School of Dance School of North Carolina Dance Theatre South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities School of American Ballet |
2004 | 2008 | |
| Roman Mejia | Mejia Ballet Academy School of American Ballet |
2017 | 2023 | |
| Miriam Miller | University of Iowa Youth Ballet City Ballet of Iowa School of American Ballet |
2016 | 2025 | |
| Mira Nadon | Inland Pacific Ballet Academy of Montclair School of American Ballet |
2018 | 2023 | |
| Tiler Peck | Bakersfield Dance Company Conjunctive Point Westside School of Ballet School of American Ballet |
2005 | 2009 | |
| Unity Phelan | Princeton Ballet School School of American Ballet |
2012 | 2021 | |
| Taylor Stanley | The Rock School for Dance Education Miami City Ballet Summer Program School of American Ballet |
2010 | 2016 | |
| Daniel Ulbricht | Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance Les Jeunes Danseurs Chautauqua Summer Dance Program School of American Ballet |
2001 | 2007 | |
| Andrew Veyette | Dance Arts (Visalia, California) Westside Ballet School of American Ballet |
2000 | 2007 | |
| Emma Von Enck | Royal School of Ballet Cleveland School of Dance Cleveland Ballet Conservatory School of American Ballet |
2017 | 2024 | |
| Peter Walker | Gulfshore Ballet School of American Ballet |
2012 | 2022 | |
| Indiana Woodward |  France |
Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet School of American Ballet |
2012 | 2021 |
Soloists
Soloists perform important individual roles, but not usually the main ones.
| Name | Nationality | Training | Joined NYCB | Promoted to Soloist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sara Adams | United States |
Mid-Cape Ballet Academy Boston Ballet School School of American Ballet |
2009 | 2017 |
| Daniel Applebaum | Maryland Youth Ballet School of American Ballet |
2005 | 2018 | |
| Gilbert Bolden III | Idyllwild Arts Academy The Rock School for Dance Education School of American Ballet |
2017 | 2023 | |
| Preston Chamblee | Raleigh School of Ballet International Ballet Academy (North Carolina) School of American Ballet |
2015 | 2022 | |
| Harrison Coll | School of American Ballet | 2013 | 2018 | |
| David Gabriel | Glenwood Dance Academy Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School of American Ballet |
2021 | 2024 | |
| Ashley Hod | Great Neck School of Dance School of American Ballet |
2013 | 2022 | |
| Emily Kikta | Thomas Studio of Performing Arts Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh School of American Ballet |
2011 | 2022 | |
| Alec Knight |  Australia |
The Australian Ballet School School of American Ballet |
2015 | 2024 |
| Ashley Laracey | United States |
Carty Academy of Theater Dance Sarasota Ballet of Florida School of American Ballet |
2003 | 2013 |
| Megan LeCrone | Greensboro Ballet North Carolina School of the Arts School of American Ballet |
2002 | 2013 | |
| Jules Mabie | Academy of Dance, Music & Theatre School of American Ballet |
2018 | 2024 | |
| Olivia MacKinnon | Mobile Ballet School of American Ballet |
2013 | 2023 | |
| Alexa Maxwell | Deanne's Dance Studio Minnesota Dance Theater Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet School of American Ballet |
2013 | 2023 | |
| Erica Pereira | Ballet Academy East School of American Ballet |
2007 | 2009 | |
| Brittany Pollack | School of American Ballet | 2007 | 2013 | |
| Davide Ricardo |  Italy |
Istituto Regional Della Danza Opera Ballet School School of American Ballet |
2018 | 2023 |
| Aaron Sanz |  Spain |
C.P.D. Carmen Amaya (Madrid) School of American Ballet |
2012 | 2018 |
| Troy Schumacher | United States |
Atlanta Ballet Chautauqua School of Dance School of American Ballet |
2005 | 2017 |
| KJ Takahashi | Ballet Academy of Texas Mejia Ballet International Ballet Tech School of American Ballet |
2021 | 2023 | |
| Sebastian Villarini-Velez |  Puerto Rico |
School for the Performing Arts (Puerto Rico) School of American Ballet |
2013 | 2018 |
Artistic Team
The artistic staff helps run the company and guide the dancers.
Senior Repertory Director
- Rosemary Dunleavy
Repertory Directors
- Jean-Pierre Frohlich
- Gonzalo Garcia
- Craig Hall
- Lisa Jackson
- Glenn Keenan
- Rebecca Krohn
- Christine Redpath
- Kathleen Tracey
Guest Teachers
- Espen Giljane
- Arch Higgins
- Darci Kistler
- Andrei Kramarevsky
Children's Repertory Director
- Dena Abergel
Associate Children's Repertory Director
- Arch Higgins
Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor
- Justin Peck
Artist in Residence
- Alexei Ratmansky
The New York City Ballet Orchestra
The NYCB Orchestra has 66 members and is very important to the ballet. They play for almost all of the thousands of performances NYCB has given over the years. It is one of the most flexible orchestras in the world. They often play many different pieces of music in a single week. The main musicians in the orchestra also perform solos and chamber music. The orchestra travels with the ballet on all its tours in North America.
Besides the orchestra, NYCB also has six full-time pianists. They often play with the orchestra in the pit.
The NYCB Orchestra sometimes plays for other dance companies too. In January 2019, the orchestra pit was renamed the "Stravinsky Orchestra Pit" because of a generous donation.
Music Directors
- Léon Barzin (1948–1963)
- Robert Irving (1963–1989)
- Gordon Boelzner (1989–2000)
- Andrea Quinn (2001–2006)
- Fayçal Karoui (2006–2012)
- Andrew Litton (2015–present)
Staff Conductors
- Clotilde Otranto
- Andrews Sill (acting Music Director, 2012–2014; Associate Music Director 2014–present)
See also
- In the Wings: Behind the Scenes at the New York City Ballet, a book from 2007.
- List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
