What to see at the New York City Ballet this winter: New York dance fans have much to look forward to as 2015 winds up and 2016 blasts off. The New York City Ballet’s winter programming ranges from beloved classics to innovative world premieres, with something to look forward to for every ballet fan.
The Nutcracker/Photo © Paul Kolnik
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without The Nutcracker, and NYCB’s iconic take on the seasonal classic will be kicking off the winter season, running from November 27-January 3. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker has become perhaps the best-known production of the popular ballet, blending Balanchine’s choreography and Tchaichovsky’s iconic score with such awe-inspiring stage moments as the Christmas tree that grows onstage to a height of 40 feet. The elaborate production, featuring a cast of 90 dancers from both the NYCB and the School of American Ballet, is truly not to be missed.
Of course, Balanchine’s choreography is also at the heart of the New York City Ballet in general, and ballet-goers will have plenty of opportunities to see his work performed this winter. The company will include two all-Balanchine programs, featuring the stylized and modernist work Kammermusik No. 2, the regally classical Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3, and the spectacular Symphony in C, which features over 50 dancers adorned with Swarovski crystals. Another program, “Balanchine Black and White,” will feature some of Balanchine’s less-opulent pieces, including the famous works Agon and The Four Temperaments. Other Balanchine ballets this season include Who Cares?, set to a Gershwin score, and Liebeslieder Walzer, a sweeping piece set to Brahms waltzes.
Balanchine’s choreography won’t be the only classic work on display for winter 2015-2016. The Romantic ballet classic La Sylphide, with choreography by August Bournonville (staged by Peter Martins), will run from February 12-18. Jerome Robbins, known for both his ballet choreography and iconic work on Broadway shows like West Side Story, will also be represented on the NYCB this season with several works. Broadway audiences who enjoyed last year’s revival of On the Town can see its precursor onstage with Fancy Free, a distinctly American ballet about three sailors on leave in New York City. A different layer of NYC is represented in Robbins’ Glass Pieces, whose choreography blends postmodernism with classic ballet and a Phillip Glass score to capture the energy of urban life.
Glass Pieces/Photo © Paul Kolnik
New York City Ballet is not a company stuck in the past, though—which is made abundantly clear by its many contemporary works this season. The company’s winter season will include two programs dedicated to contemporary choreographers: “New Combinations” and “21st Century Choreographers.” These programs will include several world premiere works, such as Common Ground, choreographed by corps de ballet member Troy Schumacher; Polaris, the first NYCB ballet choreographed by Myles Thatcher of the San Francisco Ballet; and a new ballet by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Most Incredible Thing. Also on the program are pieces by such notable contemporary choreographers as Christopher Wheeldon, director/choreographer of Broadway’s An American in Paris; Kim Brandstrup, an award-winning choreographer in Europe who will be premiering his first-ever work for an American dance company; and NYCB Artistic Director Peter Martins. Those who saw the 2014 ballet documentary Ballet 422 will also be able to see onstage its subject matter, Justin Peck’s Paz de la Jolla, as part of the “21st Century Choreographers” program. The buoyant work seeks to capture the beachy energy of Peck’s native California.
Those looking to go beyond the typical programming should also check out New York City Ballet’s public programs, which include Artist Chats with members of the company, pre-performance First Position discussions that introduce the programs, 90-minute Seminar discussions with a panel of artists, and Ballet Essentials movement workshops for adults that have little or no dance training. Younger audience members (under the age of 29) can also see the company’s work by taking advantage of their $29 for 29 program, which allows audience members to purchase same-day tickets for just $29 a pop.
Heading to the New York City Ballet as a group? Be sure to check out NYCB's Group Adventures add-ons, which start as low as $10 per person. The company offers groups the chance to take advantage of exclusive workshops and special events, including pre-performance discussions with a dancer or musician from the show you’re about to see, the chance to go behind-the-scenes at NYCB’s costume shop, and private classes and coaching sessions with an NYCB dancer. For more information, visit www.nycballet.com or email groupsales@nycballet.com.
For more information about the New York City Ballet and its winter 2015-2016 season, visit www.nycballet.com.
