While known for his loyalty to composers from his native Russia, Balanchine also displayed a deep affection for French music, as the dances in this program illustrate. The rarely seen Bourrée Fantasque, set to the music of Chabrier, includes romping comedy in the first movement and a blazing finale for the corps de ballet. Errante, originally titled Tzigane after the name of Ravel’s rhapsodic score and last revived for the 1993 Balanchine Celebration, returns in a staging by Suzanne Farrell, for whom it was choreographed in 1975. The evening also includes two disparate dances to Bizet scores: the animated pas de deux The Steadfast Tin Soldier, with its fairy-tale characters who spring to life, and Symphony in C, one of Balanchine’s most brilliant and cherished displays of the variety of classical style.

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All Balanchine

Lincoln Center

Ever since its 1969 premiere, Jerome Robbins’ expansive masterwork Dances at a Gathering has held a special place in the repertory. Set to a suite of Chopin’s piano works, the ballet, performed on a bare stage, is a pure dance depiction of the romantic, comic, and communal interactions between the performers onstage, who, while not specifically characterized, express aspects of their personalities and spirituality through classical steps occasionally inflected with folk influences. The ballet is joined by another deeply romantic work: Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet is, as the title suggests, a four-movement ballet that vividly evokes the elegance of the Austro-Hungarian empire, with Schoenberg’s orchestrations of Brahms’s music adding a subtle veneer of modernity.

Masters at Work

The 2024 Spring Gala turns the spotlight on NYCB’s future through our commitment to new work, featuring world premieres from Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and renowned choreographer Amy Hall Garner, whose work has been seen on a wide array of dance and theater stages. This celebratory event opens with George Balanchine’s Rubies, which epitomizes the distinct energy and athleticism that are hallmarks of the Company to this day.

Spring Gala

New York City Ballet’s past and present meet here, as two Balanchine classics are joined by a pair of new ballets. Rubies, from the full-length Jewels, has become an established stand-alone diversion, delightful for Balanchine’s endlessly energetic and witty interpretation of the splendid Stravinsky score. Le Tombeau de Couperin, a highlight of the Company’s 1974 Ravel Festival, is a gracious, courtly Black & White ensemble work. Resident Choreographer Justin Peck presents his 24th ballet for the Company, while Amy Hall Garner, whose work has been seen on a wide array of dance and theater stages, makes her debut with the Company.

Classic NYCB I

A pair of dances that illustrate two distinctive aspects of Jerome Robbins’ artistry highlight this diverse program. Interplay, first seen in 1945, features music by Morton Gould, and was described by one critic as “the foundation of an American mid-forties classic style.” Other Dances features just two dancers in a display of sweeping, occasionally folk-inflected ballet technique. The Robbins pieces are joined by newer works: Pam Tanowitz’s Gustave le Gray No. 1 is performed to a score for solo piano by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, its title a tribute to the 19th-century French artist known for his innovations in the nascent medium of photography. And Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit, his second dance for the Company, marked Peck’s first collaboration with the singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens.

Classic NYCB II

Although George Balanchine’s decades-long collaboration with Igor Stravinsky contributed several classics to the repertory, New York City Ballet choreographers of newer generations have continued to find inspiration in the Russian composer’s work. Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes de Ballet, just his second dance for the Company, features 64 students of the School of American Ballet in an enchanting depiction of young dancers learning their craft, with a charming set by the devoted ballet-lover and artist Ian Falconer, author of the beloved Olivia children’s books. Justin Peck’s Pulcinella Variations combines classical steps with vibrant costumes derived from the commedia dell’arte tradition. And Balanchine’s classic leotard ballet Symphony in Three Movements reveals, with its inspired matching of music and choreography, how deeply Balanchine’s dance ideals and Stravinsky’s music were attuned.

All Stravinsky

A classic Jerome Robbins ballet pointing the way toward the future combines with three works from contemporary choreographers. Glass Pieces is Robbins’ electrifying 1983 ballet to music by the iconic contemporary composer Philip Glass. Alexei Ratmansky employed a classic 19th-century piano composition from Mussorgsky to create a ballet that translates the music into the choreographer’s distinctive 21st-century idioms. Gianna Reisen’s Play Time, which debuted at the 2022 Fall Fashion Gala, is set to a score by Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Solange Knowles. And Red Angels, from the late choreographer Ulysses Dove, has remained a staple in the Company repertory since its debut in 1994.

Contemporary Choreography I

New York City Ballet continually invests in works by new generations of choreographers. Pam Tanowitz’s Law of Mosaics, set to Ted Hearne’s score, combines moments of resonant silence with propulsive string-based music, and is further illuminated by the colorful costumes of Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung. Despite its simplicity, This Bitter Earth, a pas de deux danced to a remix of Dinah Washington’s recording of the title song, ranks among Christopher Wheeldon’s most delicate and moving works. For many followers of the Company, William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux remains a totemic example of the adventurousness that Balanchine always championed and exemplified. The Company’s ongoing interest in a wide variety of music and the dancing it inspires is illustrated in Kyle Abraham’s Love Letter (on shuffle), which draws on the pop music of singer-songwriter James Blake and combines classical steps with a distinctly 21st-century aesthetic.

Contemporary Choreography II

This specially curated performance is designed to provide a friendly, inclusive environment where individuals with sensory processing challenges, including autism, can experience New York City Ballet. Slight modifications will include a relaxed entry/exit policy, adjustments to lighting and sound levels, designated break areas throughout the Theater, additional event staffing to assist with audience needs, and pre-visit resources, including a visual schedule. This one-time-only performance features two ballets from NYCB’s expansive repertory. Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes de Ballet, featuring 64 students from the School of American ballet, offers a glimpse into the rehearsal studio as young dancers refine their artistry. Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, set to music by contemporary composer Philip Glass, highlights the graceful athleticism of the corps de ballet, as the ensemble weaves across the stage with dynamic fervor.

Sensory Friendly Performances

Shakespeare’s peerless comedy has been translated into many artistic mediums over the centuries, proving the enduring appeal of its richly complicated tale of mismatched lovers, the buffoonish “rude mechanicals,” and the fairy-tale kingdom presided over by the warring Oberon and Titania. Balanchine’s genius is illustrated in his mastery of all aspects of the play’s dizzying plot, and features, in the wedding finale, one of his most beautifully composed pas de deux.

New York City Ballet

Apr 23 - May 5, 2024

All Balanchine

Apr 26 - May 12, 2024

Masters at Work

May 2, 2024

Spring Gala

3 - 16 May, 2024

Classic NYCB I

8 - 26 May, 2024

Classic NYCB II

New York City Ballet

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