New York City Ballet

David H. Koch Theater

The New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein . It was the first ballet institution to have two permanent venues, the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center New York and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs , New York . The attached School of American Ballet is housed in the neighboring Samuel B. & David Rose Building at Lincoln Center .

history

The idea for the foundation came from Lincoln Kirstein. His vision was an American ballet where local young dancers would be trained by the best ballet masters to perform a new, modern repertoire rather than relying on foreign touring groups.

In 1933 Kirstein met George Balanchine in New York and knew immediately that he had met the right person for his vision. Balanchine had received classical ballet training in Russia and also studied piano and composition. However, the early years were difficult. A three-year collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera ended in dispute. During the Second World War, only the company's school was active.

After the end of the war, the Ballet Society was founded. The first appearances took place at the City Center for Music and Drama in New York. Morton Baum, then chairman of the City Center's Finance Committee, was impressed with the performance and suggested making the company the New York City Ballet . In 1948 Jerome Robbins was appointed Assistant Artistic Director. The first season was in October 1948, three choreographies opened by Balanchine: Concerto Barocco , Orpheus and Symphony in C .

In 1964 the company moved to the new New York State Theater , now renamed the David H. Koch Theater . Guest tours have taken the New York City Ballet to Europe, Australia, Brazil, Japan and Russia, among others.

Today the company has around 90 dancers and 150 pieces in its repertoire, mainly choreographies by Balanchine, Robbins and Peter Martins . It is one of the three leading ballet companies in the USA.

Principal Dancer

Jared Angle Charles Askegard Yvonne Borree Ashley Bouder Jacques d'Amboise Joaquin de Luz Albert Evans Megan Fairchield Gonzalo Garcia Sterling Hyltin

Darci Kistler Maria Kowroski Nicholas Magallanes Sébastien Marcovici Nilas Martins Sara Mearns Benjamin Millepied Francisco Moncion Philip Neal Jenifer Ringer

Jennie Somogyi Abi Stafford Jonathan Stafford Maria Tallchief Janie Taylor Helgi Tomasson Daniel Ulbricht Andrew Veyette Wendy Whelan

Web links

Commons : New York City Ballet  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

• New York City Ballet (English)
• Review of the opening evening of the 2009 winter season

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jacques d'Amboise biography, Ballet Encyclopedia on www.the-ballet.com (English)
2. ↑ Nicholas Magallanes' obituary, The New York Times , May 5, 1977 at www.nytimes.com (English)
3. ↑ Anna Kisselgoff, "Francisco Moncion, 76, a Charter Member of New York City Ballet.", 'Obituary, on The New York Times , April 4, 1985 www.nytimes.com (English)
4. ↑ Jack Anderson, "Maria Tallchief, a Dazzling Ballerina and Muse for Balanchine, Dies at 88", on The New York Times April 12, 2013 www.nytimes.com (English)
5. ^ Dancers according to Rank at NYCB - as of April 2009