Episoder
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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 -
Manglende episoder?
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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 SilvestriMusic:
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 BlakeReading 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 SilvestriReading 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. EliotMusic:
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 SilvestriMusic:
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 OrchestraReading 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 SilvestriMusic:
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 OrchestraReading 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 ReedMusic:
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 TschaikovskyReading 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 ReedMusic:
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 OrchestraReading 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 ReedREADING 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 HoldenMUSIC:
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 - Vis mere
