New York City Ballet ( NYCB ) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein . Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's first music director. City Ballet grew out of earlier troupes: the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet , 1934; the American Ballet , 1935, and Ballet Caravan, 1936, which merged into American Ballet Caravan , 1941; and directly from the Ballet Society , 1946.
38-398: NYCB may refer to: New York City Ballet , a ballet company New York Community Bank , a regional bank New York City Breakers , a breakdancing group Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title NYCB . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
76-403: A 75-minute informal ballet class for adults ages 21 and up with little to no prior dance experience. These programs are all facilitated by NYCB dancers. New York City Ballet offers tickets for $ 30 to select performances for patrons ages 13 to 30 at the box office, or online or by phone with an account; sales for each performance week (Tue. evening through Sun. matinee) begin at 10:00 a.m. on
114-530: A Faun . The performers included Maria Calegari, Kyra Nichols, Heather Watts , Leonid Kozlov , Afshin Mofid, Patricia McBride , Helgi Tomasson , Karin von Aroldingen , Lourdes Lopez , Bart Cook, and Joseph Duell. After Balanchine's death in 1983, Peter Martins was selected as balletmaster of the company. After 30 years, Martins was judged to have maintained the New York City Ballet's financial security and
152-403: A broader community support for classical ballet might be found, Bolender had a vision to build a company, a repertoire, and a school in the nation's heartland. Bolender did all three and at an age when most people have retired Bolender became Artistic Director Emeritus in 1996 when he retired from Kansas City Ballet and William Whitener took over as artistic director. In the fall of 1997, Bolender
190-815: A choreographer flourished. He created works that were the basis of the company's repertory until his death in 1983. He worked closely with choreographer Jerome Robbins , who resumed his connection with the company in 1969 after having produced works for Broadway. NYCB still has the largest repertoire by far of any American ballet company. It often stages 60 ballets or more in its winter and spring seasons at Lincoln Center each year, and 20 or more in its summer season in Saratoga Springs. City Ballet has performed The Nutcracker , Romeo and Juliet , A Midsummer Night's Dream , and many more. City Ballet has trained and developed many great dancers since its formation. Many dancers with already developed reputations have also joined
228-590: A penchant for high camp." Describing him in Jerome Robbins' The Concert , she writes: "[he] was a henpecked husband who constantly escaped into daydreams of sexual conquest. Clad in a vest and long underwear and chewing on a huge cigar, he was the prototype of ... J. Walter Mitty ." Longtime New York City Ballet observer Robert Garis said of him in Agon , "[his] easy wit and charm in the first pas de trois seem unrecapturable" ( ibid. ) Mother Goose Suite , made in 1943,
266-426: A strong impression. Under Balanchine's supervision, Bolender studied at the fledgling School of American Ballet with such Russian teachers as Pierre Vladimiroff , Felia Dubrovska , Anatole Oboukhoff and Ludmilla Schollar . He also trained with Muriel Stuart and, pursuing a strong interest in modern dance, studied with Louis Horst and Harald Kreutzberg . The two greatest influences on his choreography, Bolender
304-493: A summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and regularly tour internationally. Introductory talks about a current performance, called First Position Discussions, are held before some performances or during some intervals in the fourth ring, house right; the docents are volunteers and include laymen as well as former dancers. Hour-long Inside NYCB events explore the history and inner workings of
342-445: Is an important symphonic institution in its own right, having played for virtually all of the thousands of performances NYCB has given over the decades. It is one of the most versatile orchestras in the world, on any given week performing perhaps three or four times the repertoire that another symphony might be expected to do. Principal players of the orchestra also perform the majority of the concertos, other solos, and chamber music in
380-587: Is to enable Balanchine to do exactly what he wants to do in the way he wants to do it." He served as the company's General Director from 1946 to 1989, developing and sustaining it by his organizational and fundraising abilities. The company was named New York City Ballet in 1948 when it became resident at City Center of Music and Drama . Its success was marked by its move to the New York State Theater, now David H. Koch Theater , designed by Philip Johnson to Balanchine's specifications. City Ballet became
418-683: The American Midwest during the Great Depression , he studied under George Balanchine and led the Kansas City Ballet in Kansas City , Missouri , from 1980 to 1995. Born in Canton, Ohio , on February 27, 1914, Bolender grew up in a family in which the arts, music and theater in particular, were an important part of life. The extremely lively child—one of four—was early on dubbed the dancer of
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#1732852088040456-549: The Arts and Humanities School of American Ballet Conjunctive Point Westside School of Ballet School of American Ballet School of American Ballet Miami City Ballet Summer Program School of American Ballet Les Jeunes Danseurs Chautauqua Summer Dance Program School of American Ballet Westside Ballet School of American Ballet The following is the current artistic staff (except dancers, who are listed at List of New York City Ballet dancers ): The 66-member NYCB Orchestra
494-690: The Koch Theater. These have included the Australian Ballet in the Spring 2012, and the San Francisco Ballet in the Fall 2013. Todd Bolender Todd Bolender (February 27, 1914 – October 12, 2006) was a renowned ballet dancer , teacher, choreographer, and director. He was an instrumental figure in the creation and dissemination of classical dance and ballet as an American art form. A child of
532-511: The Monday of that week. New York City Ballet's Fourth Ring Society offered discounted tickets to all shows in the theater's Fourth Ring for a small annual fee. This program was closed to new members in 2011 and renamed Society NYCB to reflect an expanded offering of discounted seats in all sections of the theater, although over time a few ballet programs (e.g., Nutcracker) and individual dates became unavailable. City Ballet's Choreographic Institute
570-585: The NYCB repertory as well. The orchestra accompanies the ballet on all of its North American tours, and while the ballet uses local orchestras on its international tours, members of the NYCB Orchestra often go along as soloists or extras. Besides the members of the orchestra, the NYCB has six pianists on full-time staff. They all perform in the pit with the orchestra on a regular basis. The NYCB Orchestra also occasionally accompanies dance companies from other cities at
608-564: The Spring 2008 season was a celebration of Jerome Robbins ; major revivals were mounted of the following ballets: Friday, June 27, 2008, the first Dancers' Choice benefit was held for the Dancers' Emergency Fund. The program was initiated by Peter Martins , conceived and supervised by principal dancer Jonathan Stafford , assisted by Kyle Froman, Craig Hall, Amanda Hankes, Adam Hendrickson, Ask la Cour, Henry Seth, and Daniel Ulbricht, and consisted of: and excerpts from: On June 14, 2009,
646-467: The ballet as principal dancers: In 1960, Balanchine mounted City Ballet's Salute to Italy with premieres of Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Variations from Don Sebastian (called the Donizetti Variations since 1961), as well as performances of his La Sonnambula and Lew Christensen 's Con Amore . The performance was repeated in 1968. In 1972, Balanchine offered an eight-day tribute to
684-420: The company through performance and discussion, often with dancers and artistic staff. Other public programs include Family Saturdays, one-hour interactive programs for children 5 and up; Children's Workshops and In Motion Workshops, pre-performance explorations of the music, movement, and themes of a ballet featured in the matinee performance for children ages 5–8 and 9–11, respectively; and Ballet Essentials,
722-526: The composer, his great collaborator, who had died the year before. His programs included twenty-two new works of his own dances, plus works by choreographers Todd Bolender , John Clifford , Lorca Massine , Jerome Robbins, Richard Tanner , and John Taras , as well as repertory ballets by Balanchine and Robbins. Balanchine created Symphony in Three Movements , Duo Concertant , and Violin Concerto for
760-544: The family and his physical energy channeled in lessons in acrobatic tap. In 1931, when he was 17, Bolender went to New York, which he said in an interview in 2002 seemed to him like a "kind of heaven", to study theatrical dance. In 1933 he moved to New York for good, taking up full-time residence there at about the same time George Balanchine arrived in this country. Attendance at a concert by Mary Wigman led Bolender to Hanya Holm , who he said later saved him from bad teaching. Social acquaintance with Balanchine, however, made
798-658: The first ballet company in the United States to have two permanent venue engagements: one at Lincoln Center 's David H. Koch Theater on 63rd Street in Manhattan , and another at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center , in Saratoga Springs, New York . The School of American Ballet (S.A.B.), which Balanchine founded, is the training school of the company. After the company's move to the State Theater, Balanchine's creativity as
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#1732852088040836-467: The following year. Balanchine's 50th Anniversary Celebration was held by the company in 2002. On April 26, 1984, NYCB celebrated the 20th anniversary of the New York State Theater. The program started with Igor Stravinsky 's Fanfare for a New Theater, followed by Stravinsky's arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner . The ballets included three of Balanchine's works, Serenade , Stravinsky Violin Concerto , and Sonatine ; and Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of
874-661: The fruits of his own continuing creativity. He was active in the preservation of Balanchine's work, coaching dancers in his roles in the repertoire for the Balanchine Foundation's Film Archive and reconstructing Renard for the Kansas City Ballet in 1998 as part of the Stravinsky Festival. In 2006, Bolender was awarded the Dance Magazine Award for his lifetime achievement in dance. Just weeks before he
912-432: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NYCB&oldid=1204863591 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages New York City Ballet In a 1946 letter, Kirstein stated, "The only justification I have
950-822: The musicality and performance level of the dancers, but he has not emphasized the Balanchine style to the extent that many observers expected he would. Martins retired from his position in 2018. For the company's 40th anniversary, Martins held an American Music Festival, having commissioned dances from choreographers Laura Dean , Eliot Feld , William Forsythe , Lar Lubovitch , Paul Taylor . He also presented ballets by George Balanchine and Robbins. The programs included world premieres of more than twenty dances. Martins contributed Barber Violin Concerto , Black and White , The Chairman Dances , A Fool for You , Fred and George , Sophisticated Lady , Tanzspiel , Tea-Rose , and The Waltz Project . A major component of
988-751: The occasion. He and Robbins co-choreographed and performed in Pulcinella . Balanchine had produced an earlier Stravinsky festival in 1937 as balletmaster of the American Ballet while engaged by the Metropolitan Opera . The composer conducted the April 27th premiere of Card Party . In 1975, Balanchine paid his respects to the French composer Maurice Ravel with a two-week Hommage à Ravel . Balanchine, Robbins, Jacques d'Amboise , and Taras made sixteen new ballets for
1026-600: The occasion. Repertory ballets were performed as well. High points included Balanchine's Le Tombeau de Couperin and Robbins' Mother Goose . In 1981, Balanchine planned a two-week NYCB festival honoring the Russian composer Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky . Balanchine, Joseph Duell , d'Amboise, Peter Martins , Robbins, and Taras created twelve new dances. In addition to presenting these and repertory ballets, Balanchine re-choreographed his Mozartiana from 1933. Philip Johnson and John Burgee 's stage setting of translucent tubing
1064-443: The opportunity to work and cultivate relationships with Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Samuel Barber. While the bulk of his choreography was for ballet companies, Bolender also choreographed for musical theater, opera and television, starting in 1952 with Time Remembered for Albi Marre Productions. In 1969, he choreographed The Conquering Hero , followed by Cry for Us All in 1970. In Turkey, where he worked in
1102-447: The second Dancers' Choice benefit was held at a special evening performance. The program included Sleeping Beauty and Union Jack . The program was supervised by principal dancer Jenifer Ringer. NYCB performs fall, winter and spring repertory seasons at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center as well as George Balanchine's Nutcracker during November and December; they have
1140-581: The seventies, Bolender choreographed My Fair Lady , Fiddler on the Roof , Man of La Mancha , and Showboat . In Kansas City, he choreographed for many operas, including Samson and Delilah for which the dancing got a better review than the singing. Bolender taught throughout his career in New York and as a guest teacher all over the United States as well as in Turkey, Japan, Austria, and Germany. From 1963 to 1966, he
1178-756: Was a versatile dancer, originating roles in the work of Balanchine — most notably Four Temperaments , Renard , and Agon — and in much of the choreography of Jerome Robbins as well. In Lew Christensen 's work, he originated the State Trooper in Filling Station and Alias in Billy the Kid . Critic and historian Doris Hering , writing in the International Dictionary of the Ballet calls him "a superb comedian with
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1216-608: Was ballet director for the Cologne Opera House and from 1966 to 1969 he filled the same role in Frankfurt. With Janet Reed he was a founding director of Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1975 and for three years starting in 1977 he was ballet director in the Atatürk Opera House . Todd Bolender's appointment as artistic director in the winter of 1981 opened a new chapter of opportunity for the Kansas City Ballet . Confident that
1254-502: Was designed to be hung and lit in different architectural configurations throughout the entire festival. In 1982, Balanchine organized a centennial celebration in honor of his long-time collaborator Igor Stravinsky , during which the City Ballet performed twenty-five ballets set to the composer's music. Balanchine made three new ballets, Tango , Élégie , and Persephone , and a new version of Variations . The choreographer died
1292-720: Was founded by Irene Diamond and Peter Martins in 2000. It has three main programmatic programs: choreographic sessions, providing choreographers with dancers and studio space; fellowship initiatives, annual awards in support of an emerging choreographer affiliated with a ballet company; and choreographic forums, symposia and round-table discussions on choreography, music, and design elements. School of American Ballet School of American Ballet Houston Ballet Academy (Houston Ballet II) School of American Ballet Ballet West Conservatory School of American Ballet San Francisco Ballet School Contra Costa Ballet School School of North Carolina Dance Theatre South Carolina Governor's School for
1330-489: Was he a member of every permutation of the company that became New York City Ballet, he also danced with Littlefield Ballet in the late thirties, performing in Catherine Littlefield 's Barn Dance and the first American Sleeping Beauty . He performed with Les Ballets Russe de Monte Carlo for one season (1945–46) and with Ballet Theatre for four months in 1944 before being sidelined with an injury. Bolender
1368-666: Was invited to New York by the George Balanchine Foundation to officially document for videotape the choreography of the solo that Balanchine created for him in The Four Temperaments. Bolender who created the role of the Fox in the original 1947 production of Renard , resurrected this piece, which had initially vanished for a half century, in 2001 for Kansas City Ballet. Bolender has built a foundation of quality and grand proportion, scarcely imaginable in 1981 and now can enjoy
1406-712: Was the first of some three dozen ballets Bolender made in the course of his long career, eleven of them for New York City Ballet. Bolender's choreography is in the repertoires of Kansas City Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre , the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo , San Francisco Ballet , Pacific Northwest Ballet , The Joffrey Ballet , and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater . His best known works, both of which are still in active repertoire, are Souvenirs and The Still Point , both made in 1955. Todd Bolender's illustrious career allotted him
1444-622: Was to say later, were Wigman and Uday Shankar , both of whom he saw perform in New York in the early thirties, along with Kreutzberg. Asked why he became a ballet dancer, Bolender said simply it was the Depression and he needed a job. As a dancer, Bolender had an unusually long career, lasting from 1936 to 1972 when he performed onstage for the last time in New York City Ballet 's Stravinsky Festival, for which he also choreographed two pieces, Serenade in A and Piano-Rag-Music . Not only
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