Stay ConnectedWelcome to City Ballet The Podcast, an exploration of New York City Ballet where we’ll journey through our history, delve into our new and existing repertory, and reveal insider tidbits.
Each season of City Ballet The Podcast features episodes that span three topics: New Combinations hosted by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, Hear the Dance hosted by dance educator and former NYCB dancer Silas Farley, and See the Music hosted by Music Director Andrew Litton.
Copyright: © 2019 New York City Ballet, Inc.
In this second part of our Hear the Dance journey into Jerome Robbins' A Suite of Dances, Cellist Hannah Holman joins host Silas Farley to provide a deep-dive introduction to the Bach Cello Suites that provide the ballet's exquisite score. As Holman explains, the music is a seminal work for every cellist, with complex challenges and varied delights throughout—all of which are complicated and enriched when performed onstage with the work's solo dancer. (42:48)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky 6 Suites for Solo Cello: Prelude & Gigue from Suite 1 in G major, BMV 1007 Sarabande from Suite V in C minor, BMV 1011 Prelude from VI in D major, BMV 1012 by Johann Sebastian Bach Symphony No.4 in E Minor, op.98 (I. Allegro non troppo, II.Andante moderato, III. Allegro giocoso, IV. Allegro energico e passionato) by Johann Sebastian Bach All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma and Herbert von Karajan
Reading List: Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill Jerome Robbins, By Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir Edited and with Commentary by Amanda Vaill Misha: The Mikhail Baryshnikov Story by Barbara Aria Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir by Peter Boal Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner
This week, Hear the Dance host Silas Farley leads us on a wide-ranging exploration of Jerome Robbins' 1994 ballet A Suite of Dances. First, he's joined by Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich, who coaches the work; Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht, who initially learned the tour-de-force role in 2019; and former Principal Dancer Peter Boal, who worked with Robbins on the development of the ballet. They walk through the creation and performance of the four movements, highlighting the ways in which A Suite of Dances teaches the performer about themselves—particularly as they grow with and age alongside the piece. (1:05:11)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky 6 Suites for Solo Cello: Prelude & Gigue from Suite 1 in G major, BMV 1007 Sarabande from Suite V in C minor, BMV 1011 Prelude from VI in D major, BMV 1012 by Johann Sebastian Bach All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill Jerome Robbins, By Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir Edited and with Commentary by Amanda Vaill Misha: The Mikhail Baryshnikov Story by Barbara Aria Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir by Peter Boal Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner
This week around the Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are talking about students on stage, with the help of two dancers at either end of that journey: 12-year-old (soon to be 13!) Theo Rochios, a current student at the School of American Ballet, and Soloist Harrison Coll, who is a substitute teacher at SAB. They share some of the challenges, thrills, and lessons dancers take on while at the School, and trade stories about the ultimate students-on-stage ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. (1:05:11)
Edited by Gus Reed
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
The chat around the Rosin Box this week is all about dance in pop culture, with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz joined by Corps de Ballet Members Naomi Corti and Grace Scheffel. From Center Stage and web series like city.ballet and Strictly Ballet—featuring, among others, NYCB's own Mimi Staker and Alec Knight—to memoirs by legends like Margot Fonteyn, the dancers share the media that inspired their earliest interest in the art form, as well as all the pop moments they've enjoyed (and critiqued) since joining the company, like the "ballet core" fashion trend and the thing the movies most often get wrong (hint: it's all about the bun). (48:11)
Edited by Gus Reed
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
We're back at the Rosin Box for another candid conversation with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by Corps de Ballet Member and budding choreographer Laine Habony to talk about NYCB's First Steps program. This singular initiative gives current company dancers the opportunity to create new works on their peers, providing a professional cast and environment for first-time or early-career dancemakers. As Laine shares, this eye-opening experience provided both an education in what it takes to move to the front of the room and the validation that accompanies seeing the steps she'd envisioned come to life. (43:04)
Edited by Gus Reed
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another intimate New Combinations conversation, joined this week by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky. They discuss the origins—both within history and in Ratmansky's own career—of the Petipa ballet Paquita, excerpts of which provide the foundations for his newest ballet for the company. Ratmansky explains his use of Balanchine's Minkus Pas de Trois in revisiting this "feast of classical dancing," and the ways in which his work brings extensive research into conversation with the vocabulary of today's dancers. (30:45)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co.
Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan and former Soloists Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich and Repetiteur Diana White for a conversation about Jerome Robbins' The Cage. From its "empowering" choreography to the manners in which the relationship between the Mother and the Novice mimic that of senior and newer members of the company, they describe the unique qualities of this ballet beloved by dancers and audiences alike. (59:01
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto in D for String Orchestra, "Basler" (1946) by Igor Stravinsky Performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: 1. Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill 2. Jerome Robbins, by Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir by Jerome Robbins, Edited by Amanda Vaill 3. Jerome Robbins: A Life in Dance by Wendy Lesser 4. Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 by Stephen Walsh 5. Stravinsky: The Second Exile, France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh 6. The Stravinsky Festival of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner
In this episode of New Combinations, host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck in the lead-up to the world premiere of his latest work for the company, Mystic Familiar. Peck shares the thematic underpinnings of this "younger brother" to his 2017 ballet The Times Are Racing, which brings together many of the same artists as that earlier work. They discuss the ways in which Mystic Familiar celebrates the dancers' communal energy in an anthem-like The Four Temperaments for the 21st Century. (35:23)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
City Ballet The Podcast returns with a new Hear the Dance episode exploring George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. Host Silas Farley is joined by three former NYCB dancers whose engagement with this foundational ballet continues today: SAB Senior Faculty Chair Suki Schorer, Balanchine Repetiteur Victoria Simon, and SAB Faculty Member Meagan Mann. Together they trace the highlights and unique demands of Barocco's four distinct movements, describing how the apparent simplicity of the ballet demands plenty of hard work and helps build community amongst the dancers. (1:00:28)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, B.W.V. 1043 by Johann Sebastian Bach Performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra Kurt Nikkanen and Arturo Delmoni, Violin Soloists Aria with Variations in G, BWV 988 (1742), "The Goldberg Variations" by Johann Sebastian Bach Performed by Susan Walters, Pianist
Reading List: 1. Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds, with an Introduction by Lincoln Kirstein 2. Thirty Years: Lincoln Kirstein’s The New York City Ballet by Lincoln Kirstein 3. Balanchine and Kirstein’s American Enterprise by James Steichen 4. Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique by Suki Schorer and Russell Lee 5. Balanchine Pointework by Suki Schorer 6. Balanchine Then and Now Edited by Ann Hogan 7. Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy with Sharon DeLano 8. Balanchine the Teacher: Fundamentals That Shaped the First Generation of New York City Ballet Dancers by Barbara Walczak and Una Kai 9. Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner 10. Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner
Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box this week by Sandra Jennings, a former NYCB dancer who is now a repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, for a conversation about staging ballets on current performers. As Sandra shares, she travels the world to coach companies of various ballet backgrounds in Mr. B's works, acting as a bridge between the choreographer's vision and the artists of today; as she explains, these ballets are "living, breathing works of art" that are brought to life by the individual dancers. (59:26)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz take the podcast from The Rosin Box to the barre for a conversation about company class, joined by Corps de Ballet Member Christina Clark and former NYCB dancer and current class teacher Amanda Edge. They talk all things real estate, fashion, and Destiny's Child vs. Ludwig Minkus, highlighting the importance of this daily ritual for building a sense of community as well as personal growth. (53:40)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
The Rosin Box returns! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are back with another candid conversation, joined this time by Principal Dancer Unity Phelan and Corps de Ballet Member Naomi Corti. They break down some of the most common myths about ballet and Company culture, from whether performers are like the characters in Black Swan to the pros and cons of dating other dancers, and what the perfect "ballerina pedicure" entails. (49:12)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back for a New Combinations conversation with Caili Quan, one of three women choreographers whose ballets make up this year's Fall Fashion Gala program. They discuss Quan's path from studying dance while growing up on Guam to moving to New York City and performing with BalletX for eight seasons, and her transition to full-time choreography. Quan shares the ways her culture, family, and sense of home emerge within the work and contribute to the "warmth, grace, and generosity of spirit" Whelan felt when watching Quan in the studio.
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
This week, host Silas Farley is back for another fascinating Hear the Dance conversation exploring Everywhere We Go. Silas is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and former Company Member Gretchen Smith, who met when they were barely teenagers dancing at the San Francisco Ballet School and collaborated several times over the ensuing years. Justin describes his development as a dance maker leading up the 2014 premiere, as well as his unique creative partnership with composer Sufjan Stevens, while Gretchen shares how dancing the ballet is "sheer joy." (57:19)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Everywhere We Go (2014) by Sufjan Stevens All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet Edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes-Jensen Illinoise Broadway Musical: An In-Depth Review and Guide to the Illinois Theatre Play of Sufjan Stevens and Justin Peck Unveiling the Cast, Profile of Creators, Production Journey, Behind the Scenes, and Impact of the Show by Naomi Jeffrey Marcel Dzama: The Book of Ballet by Marel Dzama, Justin Peck, and Hans Christian Andersen Words Without Music: A Memoir by Philip Glass
This week's episode of City Ballet The Podcast is a previously recorded See the Music presentation hosted by NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton. Accompanied by the Orchestra and Solo Pianist Susan Walters, Maestro Litton describes why Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2—the score for the Balanchine ballet of the same name—is less frequently performed than his first, despite being beloved by soloists and rich with beautifully romantic flourishes. Balanchine considered Tschaikovsky a "soulmate," a feeling borne out by his ability to make the composer's slightly less-genius works great with his choreography. (15:57)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
City Ballet The Podcast returns just in time for the upcoming 24-25 Season. Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by legendary former Principal Dancer and current School of American Ballet faculty member Kay Mazzo and Principal Dancer Anthony Huxley to discuss George Balanchine's Duo Concertant, one of the new works to premiere during the 1972 Stravinsky Festival. Mazzo shares her memories of the speed with which Balanchine choreographed each of the four movements, and commiserates with Huxley on the many unique challenges the ballet presents, including interacting with the piano and violin that share the stage—a "commentary on the festival itself," in Farley's words, as it honored Stravinsky's music and his importance to the Company. (48:57)
Written by Silas Farley
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans Stravinsky’s Ballets by Charles M. Joseph Stravinsky Inside Out by Charles M. Joseph An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 by Stephen Walsh Stravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh Stravinsky: Chronicle of a Friendship by Robert Craft Stravinsky: Discoveries and Memories by Robert Craft The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner
As the Company concludes a Diamond Anniversary season absolutely bursting with repertory favorites, new restorations, world premieres, and successful tour stops around the world, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan talk about what went into planning and presenting the year's many achievements. From triumphant debuts to the return of dancers featured in NYCB's original opening night 75 years ago, and a number of significant firsts on the Company's stage—including the first new work from Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, the first Black Dewdrops in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®, and the first non-binary pas de deux in Justin Peck's The Times Are Racing—they had much to celebrate, all while looking toward NYCB's, and the artform's, ever-expanding future. (40:43)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 (1875) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
One of our favorite episodes of The Rosin Box has arrived: this season's Ask the Dancer! Hosts Claire and Aarón are joined by Corps de Ballet Member India Bradley to answer your questions and dish about everything dance life, from what's in her dance bag to the ballet that "woke her up" to the possibilities of ballet, which are her favorite costumes and how she likes to prepare for a performance, and beyond. (46:11)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, hosts Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box by Soloist Megan LeCrone who gets real about what happens when things do not go as planned onstage. As they all agree, a certain degree of unpredictability is unavoidable in a live performance art like ballet; knowing how to pivot and when to let go after the fact is essential for any dancer. Megan shares her own experiences with a malfunctioning backdrop in one case and a missed count in another, and what it's like to face the challenges—and thrive—in a "rite of passage" show. (53:30)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, The Rosin Box makes its star-studded season debut with an episode all about NYCB galas. Listen in on live coverage from the most recent red carpet with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, and a post-fête conversation with Corps de Ballet Member and style maven Olivia Boisson. They'll discuss all the glitz and glamour and give helpful tips for thriving at these thrilling, twice-a-year events—including making the transition from pointe shoes to sky-high heels. (39:31)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill invites us to See the Music of Igor Stravinsky's Scènes de Ballet, the eponymous score for Christopher Wheeldon's 1999 work. Sill relates that the piece was composed in 1944 for Broadway impresario Billy Rose, and drew inspiration from both world events and a variety of creative sources—including the ballet Giselle—as with so many of Stravinsky's singular compositions. (12:49)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Who Cares?: The Man I Love (1924) by George Gershwin, Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra
New Combinations host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, the performers of the latest world premiere work created on the Company: Resident Choreographer Justin Peck's Dig the Say. Roman shares the way in which the ballet was tailor made for the two dancers, in the mode of a "modern day Tarantella," in Tiler's words, that capitalizes on their history of partnering in some of the most challenging works in the repertory. Imbued with a sense of competition yet always playful and fun, they both relish Peck's invitation to contribute to the ballet's shape, invigorated by the live jazz score. (45:18)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
This week, NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton leads us on a promenade through the Modest Mussorgsky score to Alexei Ratmansky's 2014 ballet Pictures at an Exhibition. Beginning with a little background on the composer's short but complicated life, colored by contemporary critiques of his "disregard" for musical conventions, Litton is joined by Piano Soloist Stephen Gosling as he demonstrates the ways in which Mussorgsky captured the subjects of a beloved artists' paintings in remarkably challenging piano pieces. (23:31)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) by Modest Mussorgsky
This week, Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by three dancers who know William Forsythe's 1992 ballet Herman Schmerman well: Original cast members Jeffrey Edwards and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, and current interpreter Tiler Peck. Edwards and Whelan recall the unique physical and artistic challenges Forsythe's choreography posed, particularly as he called for improvisation and constant change in the studio—sometimes up until the dancers hit the stage. For Peck, Forsythe is as essential a creator as a mentor, particularly as her own career as a choreographer takes off. (59:13)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Behind the China Dogs (1988) by Leslie Stuck The Four Sections (1987) by Steve Reich Just Ducky (1992) by Thom Willems 200 Press (2014) by James Blake
Reading List: William Forsythe and the Practice of Choreography: It Starts From Any Pointe Edited by Steven Spier William Forsythe Edited by Senta Driver The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet Edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes Jensen
As we prepare for opening night of Spring performances, Associate Artistic Director and New Combinations host Wendy Whelan catches up with sought-after choreographer Amy Hall Garner between rehearsals for her first commission for NYCB, premiering in just over a week. Garner shares the long, dance-rich journey—including summer sessions at the School of American Ballet, studying modern, tap, and jazz, and performing on Broadway—that led to this moment in her dance-making career. "I love being in the studio," she says of the creative process. "I think that's a sacred space." (40:04)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
City Ballet The Podcast is back! In the lead up to the return of two of Pam Tanowitz's ballets to the stage this spring—Gustave le Gray No. 1, from 2019, and Law of Mosaics, which premiered in 2022—Former Principal Dancer Russell Janzen and current Soloist Miriam Miller join Hear the Dance host Silas Farley to discuss working with the singular choreographer. As both dancers describe, Tanowitz's unique approach to ballet and generosity in the studio make familiar steps new, freeing the performers to challenge themselves and discover new aspects of their own artistry. (1:14:37)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Reading List: Reality Hunger: A Manifesto by David Shields Béla Bartók by David Cooper The Prickly Rose: A Biography of Viola Farber by Jeff Slayton Merce Cunningham by Roger Copeland Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Law of Mosaics (2012) by Ted Hearne All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
This week at The Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are joined by NYCB dancers and "real-life" couple Emily Kikta and Peter Walker to talk about partnering—onstage and off. Peter and Aarón share their memories of learning from legendary former Principal Dancer Jock Soto, who taught partnering at the School of American Ballet when they were students, while Claire and Emily reflect on the ways in which pas de deux challenge their stamina while offering opportunities to take risks. The most important element for a successful partnership, they all agree, is simple, if not always easy: communication. (56:23)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are back at The Rosin Box, joined by Corps de Ballet Member and Get Golden founder Jenelle Manzi. Jenelle describes her journey to the stage and how struggles with injuries and food allergies inspired her to start crafting her own anti-inflammatory recipes. As she shares, a stray comment from a colleague on the tour bus to the Kennedy Center sparked the formation of her business, which she runs alongside performing full-time with the Company. (40:49)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
The Rosin Box returns for another round of candid conversations with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by NYCB Director of Costumes Marc Happel to talk all things tutus and beyond. Happel shares his journey to the Company's storied costume shop, where decades ago Co-Founder George Balanchine collaborated with Barbara Karinska on the innovative powderpuff tutu, and artisans fit and craft costumes for today's dancers under Happel's direction. (43:32)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
In this week's See the Music episode, we revisit a 2013 live presentation with host and Associate Music Director Andrews Sill, exploring Igor Stravinsky's 1945 composition Symphony in Three Movements, the score for the George Balanchine ballet of the same name. With help from the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Maestro Sill highlights the musical "nuts and bolts" of this galvanizing piece, and outlines some of the cinematic and real-world inspirations for its taut construction and powerful impact. (14:39)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
Silas Farley is back with another deep dive into the Company's repertory in this week's Hear the Dance episode, devoted to George Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer. Farley is joined by former Principal Dancers Bart Cook and Maria Calegari, who share their memories of watching the ballet's iconic interpreters in its initial incarnations; learning individual parts within the challenging but "sublime" work; and coaching Liebeslieder in its entirety. As they describe, the ballet was like a "gift from Europe," for which many dancers have needed to learn the waltz anew—in the countless three-quarter versions Balanchine devised. (57:03)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Liebeslieder, Op. 52 (1869) by Johannes Brahms Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65 (1874) by Johannes Brahms Waltzes for piano duet and vocal quartet, all set to poems by Friedrich Daumer, except last, by Goethe All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: Balanchine Then and Now Edited by Anne Hogan Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper George Balanchine: Ballet Master by Richard Buckle in Collaboration with John Taras Following Balanchine by Robert Garis More Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner Johannes Brahms: A Biography by Jan Swafford Brahms and His Poets: A Handbook by Natasha Loges Ballerina: A Biography of Violette Verdy by Victoria Huckenpahler Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy and Sharon DeLano Goethe: Life as a Work of Art by Rüdiger Safranski, Translated by David Dollenmayer Costumes by Karinska by Toni Bentley
In the latest New Combinations episode, Associate Artistic Director and host Wendy Whelan chats with Principal Dancer Tiler Peck about memories from their time dancing together and Tiler's upcoming choreographic debut with the Company. Tiler describes how her internal sense of musicality drives her choreographic practice as much as her work as a performer, and shares that this commission from New York City Ballet came at exactly the right time—the dancers' happiness and enthusiasm in the studio were "exactly what she needed." (37:56)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
City Ballet The Podcast launches this season with a new Hear the Dance conversation, guest hosted by Silas Farley, who is joined by three generations of dancers who are well acquainted with Jerome Robbins' In the Night. Former Principal Dancer Kay Mazzo originated the lead role in the ballet's first movement, about "young love"; Repertory Director Christine Redpath took over coaching the ballet from colleague Victor Castelli; and Principal Dancer Unity Phelan is performing the lead role in the tempestuous third movement. As they discuss, In the Night's power resides in its effective representation of human relationships and what the choreography reveals of its dancers' inner lives; in Unity's words, "You get to really be yourself—to dig down inside yourself and find something you didn't know you had." (46:54)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Nocturne Opus 27, No. 1 (1835); Nocturnes Opus 55, No. 1 and No. 2 (1843); Nocturne Opus 9, No. 2 (1830-1831) for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill Jerome Robbins, by Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir by Jerome Robbins, Edited by Amanda Vaill Jerome Robbins: A Life in Dance by Wendy Lesser Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times by Alan Walker Ballerina: A Biography of Violette Verdy by Victoria Huckenpahler Far from Denmark by Peter Martins
This week, Soloist Sara Adams joins hosts Claire Kretzschmar and fellow Soloist Aarón Sanz at The Rosin Box to talk pointe shoes, from the first dancer to popularize dancing en pointe to all the sewing, banging, and prepping required to get this iconic footwear ready for a performance. Sara discusses her own history with pointe shoes and shares an array of tips and tricks, revealing just how often she changes to a fresh pair during a run of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. (46:37)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Join us this week for another conversation around The Rosin Box with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, who are joined by Senior Manager of School Programs Colleen Megley and Corps de Ballet Member Kristen Segin. They talk about the Company's many educational and public program offerings, from Family Saturdays and Student Matinee performances to Access Programs and adult-friendly Workshop Weekends—the last of which Segin lovingly describes as "dance camp" for grown-ups. As Colleen shares, educational programming and outreach to the city's citizens were priorities for Co-Founder George Balanchine, and have been offered by NYCB since as early as 1961—and the benefits are as rich for Company members as the many participants. (47:01)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Join us for another round of cozy conversations at The Rosin Box, beginning with Associate Music Director Andrews Sill. Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz chat with Sill about how he came to this role with NYCB, why he prefers conducting for the ballet over symphonic performances, and which Balanchine work made him fall in love with the art form. With preparations for the return of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® under way, Sill shares how he keeps familiar music fresh—and that despite 14 years wielding the baton for the Company, he's still moved by many productions. (50:57)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, the two-part conversation between Hear the Dance host Silas Farley and dance historian Jennifer Homans continues. They discuss Lincoln Kirstein’s essential role as a collaborator with Balanchine, the creation of Serenade, and some of the key personal and artistic moments in the ongoing history of the New York City Ballet. Homans traces the development of the Company’s ethos through the individual dancers’ devotion to Balanchine's vision and to the art form; Balanchine’s presence, she describes, was an irresistible force. (1:31:11)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky Firebird Suite for Orchestra (1945), from Firebird (1910) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet Orpheus (1947) by Igor Stravinsky Accompaniment to a Film-Scene, Op.34 (1930) by Arnold Schoenberg Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, B.W.V. 1043 (1731) by Johann Sebastian Bach Two Part Invention In A minor, B.W.V. 784 (1723) by Johann Sebastian Bach Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (1893) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
Reading List: Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper George Balanchine: Ballet Master by Richard Buckle in Collaboration with John Taras Balanchine and the Lost Muse: Revolution and the Making of a Choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker by Robert Gottlieb Balletmaster: A Dancer’s Vision of George Balanchine by Moira Shearer By With To & From: A Lincoln Kirstein Reader by Lincoln Kirstein, Edited by Nicholas Jenkins Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein by Martin Duberman Split Seconds: A Remembrance by Tamara Geva Zorina by Vera Zorina Choura: The Memoirs of Alexandra Danilova by Alezandra Danilova Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief with Larry Kaplan Dancing Past the Light: The Biography of Tanaquil Le Clercq by Orel Protopopescu Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph Balanchine and Kirstein's American Enterprise by James Steichen
In this first part of a special Hear the Dance episode, host and former NYCB Dancer Silas Farley is joined by dance scholar Jennifer Homans to discuss her recently published biography, "Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century.” Homans describes how her own background as a dancer—including as a student at the School of American Ballet in the 1970s—and a return to Balanchine’s works while facing personal loss inspired her lasting interest in the Company’s founding choreographer. Farley and Homans dig into Balanchine’s Georgian upbringing, the way the hardship and uncertainty of his years in Russia and France shaped his vocabulary, and the spirituality that infuses both his approach to the creative process and to the ballets he choreographed themselves. (1:03:58)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
Reading List: Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper George Balanchine: Ballet Master by Richard Buckle in Collaboration with John Taras Balanchine and the Lost Muse: Revolution and the Making of a Choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker by Robert Gottlieb Balletmaster: A Dancer’s Vision of George Balanchine by Moira Shearer By With To & From: A Lincoln Kirstein Reader by Lincoln Kirstein, Edited by Nicholas Jenkins Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans
In this week’s See the Music episode, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill provides a taste of history and context for Tschaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, the score of the first ballet George Balanchine choreographed in the United States. Sill discusses the way the composition’s symmetries represent an homage to Mozart, and how Tschaikovsky marries "classical forms, folk tunes, and extroverted romantic expression” in the piece, which, combined with Balanchine’s choreography, resulted in the iconic ballet beloved by audiences, dancers, and musicians today. (13:14)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky. Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
This week’s episode is a special Hear the Dance reunion: former NYCB Dancer Silas Farley hosts a wide-ranging conversation between legendary former Principal Dancer Merrill Ashley and current Principal Dancer Tiler Peck on George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. As Peck shares, her first exposure to this daunting lead role was in a coaching session with Ashley, long before it became a mainstay in her repertory. Ashley describes the thrilling challenge of taking it on as a new-to-the-Company corps member, when the work was still referred to as Ballet Imperial, and the manner in which the ballet requires both stamina and style: “…the spirit is there. You’re the princess, the queen, and everyone else is your court.” (1:00:38)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed
READING LIST: Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky by Solomon Volkov Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans Dancing for Balanchine by Merrill Ashley Tchaikovsky: A Biography by Anthony Holden
MUSIC: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 75 (1892) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
New York City Ballet’s Music Director Andrew Litton returns to host this week’s See The Music episode, devoted to Igor Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, the score for the Rubies section of George Balanchine’s Jewels. Litton describes the captivating details of this composition from 1929, a prime example of the uniquely symbiotic relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky, with a little help from Solo Pianist Stephen Gosling, who demonstrates some of the most challenging excerpts of the piece. (21:29)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Rubies: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) Igor Stravinsky
City Ballet The Podcast returns in the run-up to our 75th Anniversary Season, which begins by celebrating The Foundation of the Company. Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan checks in with Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, who has been in the studios for three weeks, leading company class and observing as the dancers prepare for a Fall devoted to the works of George Balanchine. As he shares, “I’m learning as much as I’m teaching… Balanchine ballets give you different information in the different phases of your life." (36:11)
Edited by Gus Reed
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
This week, City Ballet The Podcast wraps up the 22-23 Season with Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, who celebrate a year of discovery, change, and renewal. Highlights include a powerful corps de ballet, shaped in part through the growing culture of mentorship throughout the Company; Justin Peck’s momentous new work, Copland Dance Episodes; the return to international tours, including a wildly successful visit to Spain; and more. With performances beginning in just over three months, Stafford and Whelan share what they are most looking forward to in the coming 75th Anniversary year. (23:05)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
It’s time for the annual Ask the Dancers episode of The Rosin Box! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Corps de Ballet Member Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara to dig into questions submitted by listeners, from strategies for learning new choreography to secrets for staying motivated all season long. Listen in to find out what it’s like to work alongside dancers who’ve known each other since childhood and which step Meaghan describes as “delicious.” (54:07)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, Soloist Olivia MacKinnon joins Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz at The Rosin Box to talk all things social media. Olivia shares how time away from the stage during the pandemic inspired her to pursue an amped up presence on Instagram, and the group discusses the importance of taking everything on social media with a grain of salt, while embracing the possibilities for new connections and opportunities. (37:19)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Aarón Sanz is back from NYCB’s first tour in Madrid to join fellow host Claire Kretzschmar and guest Sean Suozzi for a chat around The Rosin Box. Suozzi, a former Soloist with Company, shares how his focus shifted to filmmaking, from his role as an Executive Producer on the 2010 film NY Export: Opus Jazz to his recent projects as a director, including 2019’s Sleeping Beauty trailer. He describes the creative process behind latest directorial effort for NYCB, the 75th Anniversary film, which will premiere this August. (47:23)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week’s episode features a special live presentation of See the Music, hosted by Associate Music Director Andrews Sill and Resident Conductor Clotilde Otranto. With a little help from the New York City Ballet Orchestra, they explore the combination of old and new, romantic and acrobatic in Igor Stravinsky’s commissioned score for George Balanchine’s Agon. As Otranto notes, Agon displays Stravinsky’s creativity in “full bloom.” (10:39)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another New Combinations episode, chatting with long-time friend, former ballet partner, and Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. He describes his journey from Royal Ballet dancer to New York City Ballet to Broadway and back again, with first new work for the Company in six years premiering on May 4. As Wheeldon shares, the “turbulent beauty” of artist Kylie Manning’s work was a major inspiration in the studio as he wrestled with the Schoenberg score; their collaboration, along with that of the dancers, helped bring From You Within Me to the stage. (43:24)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
Our special two-part episode of Hear the Dance continues with former Principal Dancers Allegra Kent and Jared Angle exploring Kent’s career at New York City Ballet, zeroing in on two key roles: the Sleepwalker in La Sonnambula, and the lead in Agon. Kent shares that she was coached extensively by Balanchine for La Sonnambula—the first ballet Kent saw onstage, and immediately fell in love with—but perhaps learned most from an impromptu session with originating dancer Alexandra Danilova at a bus stop. Beginning as an understudy for Principal Dancer Diana Adams, Kent performed Agon, which she describes as “astonishing,” with Arthur Mitchell and other partners for many years. (41:47)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky Based on themes from operas by Vincenzo Bellini, including La Sonnambula, Il Puritani, Norma and I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830-1835) by Vittorio Rieti The Unanswered Question (1908) by Charles Ives Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
In part one of this week’s special Hear the Dance episode, legendary former Principal Dancer Allegra Kent joins host and fellow former Principal Jared Angle to discuss her beginnings as a dancer. From joining Bronislava Najinska's intermediate class full of GIs fresh from World War II at the age of 11, to entering the School of American Ballet at 14, to premiering in the corps of Symphony in C as an apprentice a year later, Kent describes the whirlwind of her early years with the Company—capped off with the first featured role created for her: that of the lead in Balanchine’s The Unanswered Question from Ivesiana. (40:37)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky Based on themes from operas by Vincenzo Bellini, including La Sonnambula, Il Puritani, Norma and I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1830-1835) by Vittorio Rieti The Unanswered Question (1908) by Charles Ives Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another intimate and insightful New Combinations conversation. Choreographer Alysa Pires joins Wendy between rehearsals for her first NYCB stage commission, discussing her childhood and training in Canada, the uniquely collaborative relationship she has developed with composer Jack Frerer, and the challenges—and rewards—of balancing motherhood and her artistic career. Alysa says of her time with the Company so far that she is like the coloring book; "the way that that’s colored in, maybe going outside the lines here and there, is really up to the dancers.” (45:48)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
For the latest See the Music episode, host and Associate Music Director Andrews Sill do-si-dos with George Balanchine’s Square Dance. Sills demonstrates with recordings of traditional square dance calls and excerpts from the Vivaldi and Corelli score the ways in which the fiddlers of the former connect with the solo violins of the latter, and how this 1957 ballet contributed to the choreographer’s efforts to build a trusting American audience for the classical art form. (15:14)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky. Square Dance (1969) by Al Brundage Concerto Grosso in B Minor, op. 3, no. 10; Concerto Grosso in E Major, op. 3, no. 12 [first movement] by Antonio Vivaldi. Badinerie and Giga from Sarabanda, Badinerie, and Giga by Arcangelo Corelli. Performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra. Sarabanda, Giga e Badinerie (Suite for String Orchestra) by Ettore Pinelli (after Corelli). Performed by Zagrebački Solisti. Concerto in B minor, RV 580 by Antonio Vivaldi. Performed by I Solisti Italiani.
Host Jared Angle returns for this season’s first Hear the Dance episode, focusing on 1978’s Kammermusik No. 2. Jared is joined by Soloist Daniel Applebaum and Corps de Ballet Member Lars Nelson to discuss the only Balanchine work with an all-male corps and the communal feeling they share when performing this challenging ballet. They describe the ways in which certain hieroglyphic moments give them the sense of being a vessel for a larger, “inhuman" architecture in what originating dancers referred to as Mr. B’s "Star Wars” ballet, premiering a year after the sci-fi classic. (33:32)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Kammermusik No. 2 (1924) by Paul Hindemith All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
This week, The Rosin Box host Claire Kretzschmar talks with Principal Dancers Megan Fairchild and Isabella LaFreniere about promotions within the Company and their experiences moving up the ranks. Megan shares the struggles she faced after being promoted to principal less than five years after joining as an apprentice, while Isabella describes the lessons she learned and gratitude she felt during her earlier years as a corps de ballet member. They both highlight the unique pressures and responsibilities of each rank, and reveal their favorite principal roles. (54:55)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Join us at The Rosin Box for a winter highlights chat with host Claire Kretzschmar and Corps de Ballet Members Mary Elizabeth Sell and Anna Snellgrove. Mary, who has been dancing with NYCB for 18 years, describes the unique challenges and joys of performing in The Sleeping Beauty while in her third trimester; Anna remarks on the full-circle experiences of her first year in the Company, including debuting in Donizetti Variations with a day’s notice; and the trio reflect on the most recent world premieres to hit the stage. (41:01)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
The Rosin Box is back with host Claire Kretzschmar discussing one of the newest roles at the Company with Intimacy Director Leigh Zimmerman. Prior to joining NYCB, Zimmerman trained in ballet, then went on to an award-winning career on Broadway and London’s West End. She brings her wide-ranging stage experience, a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Performance Psychology, and extensive training in Intimacy Direction to her work with dancers, choreographers, artistic staff, and policy makers to help establish an active dialogue around intimacy in its many forms. As she says, performers are able to truly “fly” when they know what to expect—“It’s freeing dancers, rather than tying them down." (47:18)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky joins Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan to discuss Voices, his most recent ballet for NYCB, which premiered at the Company’s annual New Combinations evening on January 30, 2020. Ratmansky describes his early career as a dancer in Kiev, the importance of watching bootleg VHS dance recordings in his early development as a choreographer, and how he came to set a ballet to Peter Ablinger’s complex, avant-garde composition, Voices & Piano. (34:06) Originally released January 20, 2020
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
Three sailors walk into a podcast studio… and chat with Hear the Dance host and Principal Dancer Jared Angle about Jerome Robbins’ first ballet, Fancy Free, choreographed on the American Ballet Theatre in 1944. Fellow Principal Dancers Tyler Angle, Daniel Ulbricht, and Andrew Veyette describe the importance of developing their individual characters—the “shy” midwestern farm boy, the short-fused “tough guy,” and the “cool” know-it-all, respectively—and the camaraderie they share, recalling the collaboration between Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein, who were just 25 years old when they created the work. (54:44)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Fancy Free (1944) by Leonard Bernstein All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
In this week’s New Combinations episode, host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan talks fearlessness and phoenixes with choreographer Keerati Jinakunwiphat, whose first commission for the Company premieres this winter. Keerati traces her path from growing up in Chicago, to studying at SUNY Purchase, to dancing with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, and choreographing for NYCB; as she shares, the Company dancers’ openness to and hunger for the new movement style she brings to the studio has been an inspiration. (26:07)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
Hear the Dance host and Principal Dancer Jared Angle dives into the unique challenges and special rewards of dancing George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante with Principal Dancer Tiler Peck. Tiler shares memories of learning the work from the late legendary Repertory Director and former Soloist Susie Hendl and reveals why she feels as though this ballet, which she describes as one of the hardest to dance in the repertory, was made for her. (35:58)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931)by Igor Stravinsky, Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 75 (1892) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
A fresh season of City Ballet The Podcast kicks off with New Combinations host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan in conversation with Repertory Director Craig Hall, Company Pianist Craig Baldwin, and Principal Dancer Chun Wai Chan. Each is intimately involved in the development of Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes, NYCB’s first non-narrative, evening-length work since Balanchine’s 1967 piece Jewels. As Baldwin, Chan, and Hall relate, the experience of taking part in this momentous creation is one rich with the beauty and distinctly American qualities of Copland’s music, and the sense of unfettered humanity and community in Peck’s choreographic process. (44:50)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co "Fanfare for the Common Man" (1942), "Rodeo" (1942), "Billy the Kid" (1938), "Appalachian Spring" (1944) by Aaron Copland Performed by Craig Baldwin
For the concluding conversation of this season of The Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by NYCB Principal Dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring, who also serves as the artistic director for the New York Choreographic Institute. The three share memories of their individual experiences with Institute sessions since its launch in 1999, reflecting on the importance of time and space to experiment both for the burgeoning choreographers involved (whose ranks include Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon, among many others) and for the dancers cast for each creatively-rewarding and educational two-week period. (57:26)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week’s conversation around The Rosin Box explores the way ballets are passed from generation to generation at New York City Ballet, and the artists who are responsible for carrying on that oral tradition: the Company’s repertory directors. Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Kathleen Tracey, who danced with NYCB for 15 years before becoming a repertory director. Tracey talks about her process—from preparing for rehearsals, to whether she refers to notes, and the essential assessments she makes whenever entering the studio—and the joy she feels from learning something new about the repertory and the dancers every day. (49:35)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Shoe Room Supervisor Daniel Wong around The Rosin Box to talk all things footwear at NYCB. Daniel shares how his time as a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet and as a merchandiser informs his current position, a role that’s all about balancing the art and science of fitting, ordering, and managing over 400 pointe shoes a month—in addition to all the other shoes the Company members use, all of which are housed in the theater's “pointe shoe candy shop.” (37:41)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week we return to The Rosin Box, with co-hosts Aarón Sanz and Claire Kretzschmar in cozy conversation about retirement—a topic fresh on Claire’s mind, following her own farewell to performing with the Company this past fall. We join them behind the scenes of her final dress rehearsal and in the wings before she performed the Episodes pas de deux on an emotional yet triumphant night. As Claire shares, she closes the chapter of dancing on the NYCB stage with plenty of wonderful memories to cherish, and much to look forward to—including continuing her role on City Ballet The Podcast. (48:17)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records Der Rosenkavalier (arranged 1944) by Richard Strauss Music Tales from the Vienna Woods, Op. 325 (1868) by Johann Strauss II Five Pieces, op. 10 (1911-13) by Anton von Webern Ricercata in 6 Voices from Bach's Musical Offering (1935) Arranged by Anton von Webern
On the newest Hear the Dance episode, host Jared Angle leads us through the five fasntasy-filled movements of Balanchine’s crowd- and dancer-pleasing Vienna Waltzes. He and Repertory Director Rebecca Krohn share recollections of learning the principal roles in the first Tales from the Vienna Woods and fourth Merry Widow movements from former principal dancer Karin von Aroldingen, describing the strikingly different moods of these two sections and the challenges of their romantic ballgowns. Then, Jared is joined by Principal Dancer Sterling Hyltin, who describes rehearsing the second Voices of Spring and third Explosions Polka movements with former principal dancer Sara “Sally” Leland, and how she has begun to learn the principal role in the final movement following a dreamed premonition, and just in time for her retirement. (58:45)
Written by Jared Angle
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Music Tales from the Vienna Woods, Op. 325 (1868), Voices of Spring, Op. 410 (1885) and Explosions Polka, Op. 43 (1848) by Johann Strauss II Gold and Silver Waltz (1905) by Franz Lehar First sequence of waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier (arranged 1944) by Richard Strauss All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Hear the Dance host and Principal Dancer Jared Angle explores George Balanchine’s bombastic and infinitely complex Symphony in Three Movements on this week’s episode. Jared speaks with two generations of the ballet's dancers: former NYCB dancer and current School of American Ballet faculty member Susan Pilarre, who originated one of the “five couple” roles in the ballet’s 1972 Stravinsky Festival premiere and who has staged the work for several companies; and current Soloist Ashley Laracey, who debuted the lead role in the pas de deux, or what she calls a pas de quatre, just a week after learning she was pregnant with twins. (1:02:26)
Written by Jared Angle
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
For this week’s New Combinations episode, Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan caught up with choreographer Gianna Reisen between rehearsals to talk about her third Fall Fashion Gala commission for the Company. This year’s world premiere follows 2017’s Composer’s Holiday, created when she was still a student at the School of American Ballet and in collaboration with the iconoclastic late designer Virgil Abloh; and 2018’s Judah, set to a “challenging” score by John Adams. This fall, she is working with Spanish designer Alejandro Gómez Palomo on Swarovski-studded costumes, and Solange Knowles who's composed a newly-commissioned score, on what she describes as a powerful “show-stopper.” (48:16)
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
City Ballet The Podcast returns for another season of deep dives and candid conversations, beginning with an episode of See the Music devoted to the score for Alexei Ratmansky’s 2008 ballet Concerto DSCH. Musical Director Andrew Litton takes us on a tour through the many in-jokes, historical references, and musical cryptograms in Dmitri Shostakovich’s “uncharacteristically cheerful” Piano Concerto No. 2. As he demonstrates in various excerpts, the piece is a powerful yet playful love letter between father and son. (21:46)
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 (1957) by Dmitri Shostakovich
In a special 21-22 Season wrap-up, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan reflect candidly on the many challenges, surprises, and inspiring successes of the Company’s return to the stage. From making 126 new costumes for the older students in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, to the countless debuts of a jam-packed Spring, Stafford and Whelan note the dancers’ remarkable resiliency—and what it promises for the Season to come, with repertory revivals, a roster rich with potential, and, among several world premieres, Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s first full-length ballet for NYCB. (30:20)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
The fan-favorite Q&A episode of the Rosin Box is back. Hosts and Soloists Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz respond to listener questions covering costumes, composers, and more. Tune in to find out: Is Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream score a bop? How do Claire and Aarón approach personal growth… and disappointment? And, most appropriately, what do you do if you don't have rosin? (43:57)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are back for another cameo-filled conversation around The Rosin Box. On a typically drama-filled performance night of George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the wings are like a "zoo," filled with fairies, dogs, young dancers from the School of American Ballet, a donkey-headed danseur, plenty of sparkles, and costumes fit for the ballet's "cape-ography." (44:53)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records Overture and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, opp. 21 and 61 (1826, 1842); Overtures to Athalie, op. 74 (1845), The Fair Melusine op. 32 (1833), The First Walpurgis Night, op. 60; Symphony No. 9 for strings; Overture to Son and Stranger, op. 89 (1829) by Felix Mendelssohn
In this special episode of See the Music recorded live at our Lincoln Center theater, NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton dives into the history of the Felix Mendelssohn score for Balanchine's enchanted ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream. Litton shares excerpts from the music—written 173 years ago, when Mendelssohn was just 17 years old—that encapsulate the young composer's prodigious talent, even in the face of religious persecution in his native Germany where the score was banned for a time, despite its charming, enduringly romantic character. (12:43)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Overture and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, opp. 21 and 61 (1826, 1842) Overtures to Athalie, op. 74 (1845), The Fair Melusine op. 32 (1833), The First Walpurgis Night, op. 60; Symphony No. 9 for strings; Overture to Son and Stranger, op. 89 (1829) by Felix Mendelssohn All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
Hear the Dance returns with guest host Jared Angle in conversation with former NYCB Principal Dancer Kyra Nichols. Nichols shares how having a dancer mother (former Company Member Sally Streets) has influenced her career; what it was like enrolling at the School of American Ballet at age 11; and the ways in which what she learned as a performer shapes her current work as a Professor at Indiana University. Her words of wisdom for this spring's dancers in the lead Spring role she originated in Jerome Robbins' The Four Seasons? "Have fun." (45:22)
Written by Jared Angle Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky I Vespri Siciliani (Les vêpres siciliennes) (1855) by Giuseppe Verdi I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata (1843) by Giuseppe Verdi Il Trovatore (1853) by Giuseppe Verdi Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6 (1837) by Robert Schumann All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Associate Music Director Andrews Sill voyages into the beguiling score of George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky's Orpheus in the latest See the Music episode. As Stravinsky describes, in a 1949 radio interview, Orpheus is a "long, sustained, slow chant," that utilizes ancient modes and inspirations without directly imitating ancient music. With select excerpts and piano demonstrations, Sills describes Stravinsky's use of a "rare form of kleptomania" to create an undeniably modern yet timeless sound. (16:13)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Interview excerpt from "Stravinsky Visits WQXR with Orpheus" by WQXR Features (1949)
Music: Orpheus (1947) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra.
Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another New Combinations episode of City Ballet The Podcast. This week she's joined by choreographer, former NYCB dancer, and current Dean of the Colburn School's Trudl Zipper Dance Institute Silas Farley and composer David K. Israel, who are creating a new work for this spring's 50th anniversary Stravinsky Festival. Farley and Israel describe the gift exchange between George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky that provides the inspiration for their work and movingly encapsulates the depth and generative power of the two titans' artistic partnership—a model for their own collaboration today, aesthetically and spiritually. (38:22)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
In Part 2 of this week’s Hear the Dance conversation between host Silas Farley and Helgi Tomasson, the two discuss Tomasson’s career following his entrance into the Company as a Principal Dancer in 1970. As he shares, originating a role in 1971 in Jerome Robbins’ The Goldberg Variations marked a turning point in Tomasson's life; the following year, the original Stravinsky Festival led to two more seminal roles created on the dancer: Balanchine’s Symphony in Three and Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fée. Tomassion describes how his years dancing with NYCB informed both his work as a choreographer and his tenure as the Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet, on the eve of his retirement from that position. (38:16)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
MUSIC: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Le Baiser de la Fée (1928) by Igor Stravinsky Aria with Variations in G, BWV 988 (1742), "The Goldberg Variations" by Johann Sebastian Bach Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
READING LIST: The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an An American Dance Company by Sasha Anawalt The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet Written and Edited by Nancy Goldner Thirty Years: Lincoln Kirstein’s The New York City Ballet by Lincoln Kirstein Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five by Janice Ross; Preface by Brigitte LeFévre; Foreword by Allan Ulrich How Helgi Tomasson Reshaped S.F. Ballet to World-Class Renown by Rachel Howard
On this week’s Hear the Dance episode of City Ballet the Podcast, join host Silas Farley for an in-depth conversation with former NYCB Principal Dancer Helgi Tomasson. In Part 1, Tomasson shares his journey from childhood in his native Iceland to joining the Company at age 26. In between, Tomasson auditioned for Jerome Robbins’ Ballet USA, gaining a significant fan in the choreographer; discovered the States while on tour with the Joffrey Ballet; danced for six years with the Harkness Ballet; and won the silver medal following an adventure-filled performance at the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1969. Tune in to Part 2 for more of Tomasson’s fascinating story. (45:15)
Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri
MUSIC: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Le Baiser de la Fée (1928) by Igor Stravinsky Aria with Variations in G, BWV 988 (1742), "The Goldberg Variations" by Johann Sebastian Bach Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
READING LIST: The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an An American Dance Company by Sasha Anawalt The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet Written and Edited by Nancy Goldner Thirty Years: Lincoln Kirstein’s The New York City Ballet by Lincoln Kirstein Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five by Janice Ross; Preface by Brigitte LeFévre; Foreword by Allan Ulrich How Helgi Tomasson Reshaped S.F. Ballet to World-Class Renown by Rachel Howard
New Combinations is back with a conversation between host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan and choreographer Pam Tanowitz. Wendy catches up with Pam between rehearsals for two works making their debuts on the NYCB stage this spring: a world premiere, and the reprisal of her Gustave le Gray No. 1, to be performed by two guest dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem as well as dancers from the Company. As Pam tells Wendy, her works are intended to activate and engage the viewer, an effect achieved in part through what she describes as an equal collaboration with the originating dancers, and in part through a constant commitment to challenging herself—as she says it, “I’m very comfortable making myself fail." (36:34)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
What goes on behind the big gold curtain at New York City Ballet? Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz take us on a backstage tour for the latest episode of The Rosin Box, catching up with dancers as they primp and prep over two nights of the winter performance period. The behind-the-scenes encounters include Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht sharing his journey through the character of the Prodigal Son, and the dancers of Jamar Roberts’ world premiere work Emanon – In Two Movements reacting in time to a round-the-block line of ticket buyers. (53:32)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini, Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records "Pegasus" and "Prometheus Unbound" by Wayne Shorter
"Le Fils Prodigue Op. 46" (1928-29) by Sergei Prokofiev "On Your Toes" (1936) by Richard Rodgers, orchestrated by Hershy Kay "Jeux d'Enfants, Opp. 22-26, nos. 6, 3, 11, 12" (1871) by Georges Bizet "String Quartet No. 5" (1934) by Béla Bartόk Performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra
This week’s episode of The Rosin Box finds hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz in candid conversation with NYCB Solo Pianist Alan Moverman, who shares how he went from childhood piano lessons in Syracuse, NY, to studying jazz piano with the legendary late NPR host Marian McParland, to joining the Company as a rehearsal pianist in 1995. They dig into the three aspects of Moverman’s role—providing music for daily class, accompanying rehearsals, and performing—and the “intimate gift” exchanged between musician and dancers in the studio. (58:19)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Join us for another cozy conversation around The Rosin Box with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aaron Sanz, joined by recently-promoted Soloist Ashley Hod. This week’s episode revolves around the challenges and excitement that come with creating a role in a new ballet, and how revisiting repertory roles over the years with greater experience and knowledge keeps each performance fresh. Hod and Kretzschmar relate some of the unique hurdles—particularly around footwear and the Nutcracker performance schedule—of originating featured roles in Justin Peck’s winter premiere, Partita, and being “guardians of the language.” (51:13)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Join hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz for another banter-filled backstage chat around The Rosin Box, opening a fresh season of City Ballet The Podcast. In this episode, they walk us through their personal stage makeup routines and introduce Company Makeup Stylist Neil Scibelli. Neil shares how he came to join the team just in time for The Nutcracker and a little insider info on creating the looks for George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son. (49:37)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Host Silas Farley is back with another Hear the Dance episode, devoted to the creation of George Balanchine’s tale of toy romance, The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Farley is joined by former Principal Dancers Patricia McBride and Peter Schaufuss, on whom the ballet was created. The Steadfast Tin Soldier was the first ballet Balanchine made on Schaufuss, who danced with the Company for just three short but very formative years; this marked the second ballet for which Mr. B cast McBride as a doll, following 1974’s Coppélia, and she highlights here the differences in performing the two roles. Reunited for the first time after more than 40 years, the pair's recollections of the ballet's 1975 premiere in Saratoga Springs are as fresh as if it were yesterday. (1:06:28) Originally released October 19, 2020
Reading List: My Theatre Life by August Bournonville and Patricia McAndrew Letters on Dance and Choreography by August Bournonville and Knud Arne Jurgensen My Dearly Beloved Wife!—Letters from France and Italy, 1841 by August Bournonville, Knud Arne Jurgensen, et al The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography by Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics Edition) by Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller by Jackie Wullschlager Dance in Saratoga Springs by Denise Warner Limoli Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy Dancing Across the Atlantic: USA-Denmark, 1900-2014 by Erik Aschengreen
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Jeux d'Enfants, Opp. 22-26, nos. 6, 3, 11, 12 (1871) by Georges Bizet Overture and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, opp. 61 (1842) by Felix Mendelssohn
In this episode of See the Music, NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton dives into the history and particular genius of Tchaikovsky’s treasured Swan Lake score. Joined by NYCB Concertmaster Kurt Nikkanen on the violin, Litton demonstrates the use of specific instruments and musical motifs to portray the characters of Odette and her dark opposite, Odile, and reveals what he considers to be the seven greatest measures Tchaikovsky ever composed. (17:17) Originally released February 3, 2020
Music Swan Lake (1875-76) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
Our 2-part Hear the Dance exploration of Jerome Robbins’ Moves concludes with three conversations that trace the work’s living legacy. Host Jared Angle speaks with former Soloist Diana White, one of Robbins’ frequent performers who originated a role in Moves; Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich, who is responsible for coaching Robbins’ works, including Moves, to today's dancers; and Soloist Sebastian Villarini-Velez, who currently dances in Moves with the Company. (1:10:52)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
In a special two-part Hear the Dance episode, Principal Dancer Jared Angle dives deep into the history, context, development, and performance of Jerome Robbins’ masterwork Moves. Part one features a wide-ranging interview with dance historian and Robbins biographer Amanda Vaill, who traces the artistic and personal developments in the choreographer’s life that informed the creation of Moves, and his oeuvre in general. (56:08) Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
In the lead up to the premiere of his first ballet commissioned for the NYCB stage, choreographer Jamar Roberts joins host Wendy Whelan for the latest New Combinations conversation. From dancing to Mariah Carey after school in Jacksonville, Florida, to moving to NYC and joining Ailey II at 18 years old, to retiring as Resident Choreographer of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater last December, Jamar traces the route that brought him to working with the Company. As he tells Wendy, this ballet is intended to spark joy—in a spirit informed by its Wayne Shorter score, the openness of the dancers, and the needs of the current moment. (38:48)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
Host Silas Farley opens the latest season of City Ballet The Podcast with a Hear the Dance episode devoted to George Balanchine’s Mozartiana. Choreographed for the 1981 Tschaikovsky Festival, the ballet was a moving representation of Balanchine's admiration not only for the composer, but also for the dancers of the corps de ballet and students of the School of American Ballet. Silas is joined by fellow NYCB alums Jerri Kumery, one of the original four “tall" dancers in the Minuet movement, and Amy Kobberger, one of the child dancers in the opening “Preghiera” or prayer section in the work’s premiere, to share their memories of Mozartiana’s creation. (1:24:26) Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri Reading List: Balanchine’s Mozartiana: The Making of a Masterpiece by Robert Maiorano and Valerie Brooks Holding On to the Air: An Autobiography by Suzanne Farrell with Toni Bentley Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky: Interviews with George Balanchine by Solomon Volkov
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Suite No. 4, Mozartiana, Op. 61 (1887) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky Apollon Musagète (1928) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are back with a very special holiday edition of The Rosin Box. In an intimate tour of the bustling backstage spaces before, during, and after a performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Claire and Aarón reveal what it takes to make this magical production come to life. From the necessary comforts of a dressing room “moon pod,” to the challenges of make-up and updo changes for dancers performing multiple roles, to the meditations and incantations that (quietly) echo in the wings, the joy of revisiting this holiday tradition and sharing it with audiences new and old is shared by all. (51:29)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records “The Nutcracker” (1892) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
In the latest installment of The Rosin Box, hosts and Soloists Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Judy Elliott-Pugh, NYCB’s Senior Director of Human Resources, Diversity, and Inclusion, for a conversation about her newly-created position. From day-to-day operations to ongoing and broadly-reaching projects and goals, they discuss the ways in which NYCB is an organization of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, in just as wide an array of roles, all working together to make the Company thrive. (48:02)
Edited by: Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
This week on the Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz explore the unique experiences of Company dancers originally trained in other countries. They’re joined by retiring Principal Dancer Gonzalo Garcia and still new-to-NYCB Soloist Chun Wai Chan for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from moving to the states, first introductions to Balanchine, adjusting to the Company culture, learning to drive, and the ways in which ballet is a universal language. (1:01:16)
Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
Step behind the curtain and into the rehearsal studio with hosts and Soloists Claire Kretzschmar and Aaron Sanz on another episode of The Rosin Box. School of American Ballet faculty members Suki Schorer and Anthony Huxley join to talk about the School’s curriculum, the challenges of teaching and performing at the same time, and the joys of watching students join the Company and perform the roles they’d taught them. Suki and Anthony share their similar journeys to the Company—the first as a Principal Dancer and protege under Mr. B, and the other her student and a current Principal Dancer with the Company. (58:08) Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
The Rosin Box is back for a fresh season of vital conversation and first-person perspective on the backstage lives and day-to-day work of NYCB’s dancers. Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz mark their triumphant return—and the Company’s return to the Theater—by sharing their experiences throughout the long months away, from Claire’s “garage Nutcracker” to Aarón’s meditation practice, and all the hurdles they had to overcome as they made their way back to the stage. (36:05) Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: ""Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records
In this new See the Music episode, host and NYCB Orchestra Music Director Andrew Litton leads us through the history and multi-faceted movements of the music for George Balanchine's La Valse. Choreographed in 1951, the score combines two of Maurice Ravel's compositions: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and La Valse—a "genius" merging of two interrelated works by Balanchine. Litton is joined by Solo Pianist Alan Moverman, whose piano renditions of excerpts from the score capture its by turns beguiling, bittersweet, and bombastic approaches to the waltz. (26:40) Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (1911, orchestrated 1912) and La Valse (1920) by Maurice Ravel Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
Host Silas Farley is back with another Hear the Dance episode of City Ballet The Podcast exploring Balanchine’s Chaconne. Farley is joined by legendary former Principal Dancer Suzanne Farrell, who originated the lead role in the 1976 premiere, and current Principal Dancer Maria Kowroski, who inherited many of Farrell’s signature roles during her more than 25 years with the Company—ending this fall, when she retires from performing with NYCB. Farrell describes the fast-paced creation of Chaconne and working with Balanchine, and the two dancers share memories from their iconic careers and treasured moments in both Chaconne and the repertory. (1:13:54) Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri Reading List: Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper Balanchine and Kirstein's American Enterprise by James Steichen Balanchine Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy Following Balanchine by Robert Garis Balanchine's Mozartiana: The Making of a Masterpiece by Robert Mairoano and Valerie Brooks Holding On to the Air: An Autobiography by Suzanne Farrell with Toni Bentley Gluck and the Birth of Modern Opera by Patricia Howard Christoph Willibald Gluck: A Guide to Research by Patricia Howard "Motherhood Reshaped Ballet Dancer Maria Kowroski's Career in a Touching Way," Elle Decor Article by Parker Bowie Larson and Vanessa Lawrence "Like a Prayer" The New York Times #SpeakinginDance Piece by Gia Kourlas
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Ballet music from the opera Orfeo ed Euridice (Vienna, 1762 and Paris, 1774) by Christoph Willibald von Gluck All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
New Combinations is back with host Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan in a wide-ranging conversation with choreographer Andrea Miller, whose first onstage work for NYCB premieres this Thursday at the annual Fall Gala. They discuss Miller’s journey from modern dance training in Utah, to studying at Juilliard, to learning the “gaga” movement language of the Batsheva Dance Company, and how these all inform her current approach to choreography. Miller shares the decision-making that informed the creation of her work with the Company, which she describes as a story about “a seed that fell in love with a cloud”—inspired by composer Lido Pimienta’s conception of the score. (45:18) Edited by Emilie Silvestri
Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co
Host Silas Farley delves deep into the creation of Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces in part two of this new Hear the Dance episode. Former NYCB Principal Dancers and husband and wife duo Maria Calegari and Bart Cook share intimate details about the second movement pas de deux, the development of which marked the beginning of their relationship; Corps de Ballet Member Gretchen Smith remarks on the shared legacy of performing these roles and knowing that “Everything we’re taught now is learned through those that were in the room”; and former Principal Dancer Helene Alexopoulos reflects on the importance of Glass Pieces as a celebration of the Company through its focus on the corps de ballet—and an important statement from Robbins, as the work premiered just two weeks after George Balanchine’s death. (30:07) Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri Reading List: Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill Words Without Music by Philip Glass Jerome Robbins: By Himself by Amanda Vaill
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Rubric and Façades from Glassworks, excerpts from the opera Akhnaten by Philip Glass All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
Just like the Company itself, City Ballet The Podcast is back, with a brand new Hear the Dance episode on Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces. Returning host Silas Farley is joined by former Principal Dancers and original cast members Helene Alexopoulos, Maria Calegari, and Bart Cook, and current Corps de Ballet Member Gretchen Smith, for a conversation about this galvanizing masterwork. The originating dancers provide rare behind-the-scenes insights into Robbins’ process, from his use of “guinea pigs” to the multiple iterations that reflected the choreographer’s shifting mood and sense of the work in progress, and commiserate with Smith about the challenges the various corps roles in Glass Pieces present. (44:37) Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri Reading List: Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill Words Without Music by Philip Glass Jerome Robbins: By Himself by Amanda Vaill
Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Rubric and Façades from Glassworks, excerpts from the opera Akhnaten by Philip Glass All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
For this season’s final episode, Artistic Director Jonathon Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan sat down to reflect on the concluding Digital Season, and to look forward to our return to the stage this fall. From the technical challenges of curating footage to the emotional heights of revisiting these performances, this unprecedented time in the Company’s history has inspired the Artistic team’s ambitious approach to the coming season’s programming, with special repertory revivals, our most diverse cast of choreographers, and the 50th anniversary Stravinsky Festival in the spring to look forward to—and, bridging the two seasons, a final stream of Balanchine’s Vienna Waltzes, a work with special memories for both. (39:40)
Music: Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky
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