Join us around the Rosin Box for our annual listener-contributed "Ask the Dancers" episode. Our intrepid hosts Claire and Aarón and special guest Corps de Ballet Member Lars Nelson answer your questions about rehearsal wear, dancing with Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, remembering steps, and more—including, "Explain dogs at New York City Ballet." (39:06)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

Hosts Claire and Aarón are back at the Rosin Box, joined this week by Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia to talk about the relationship between choreographer and dancer in the creation of new works—especially in the case of Tiler's Concerto for Two Pianos from 2024, which featured Roman. As they share, the process is like a conversation between artists on both sides of the studio and relies heavily on trust. Tiler highlights the necessary balance between celebrating individual dancers' strengths with making a timeless work, while Roman describes feeling deeply invested in the success of her ballet's premiere. (34:11) 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

We're back at the Rosin Box for another candid conversation with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by Corps de Ballet Member and budding choreographer Laine Habony to talk about NYCB's First Steps program. This singular initiative gives current company dancers the opportunity to create new works on their peers, providing a professional cast and environment for first-time or early-career dancemakers. As Laine shares, this eye-opening experience provided both an education in what it takes to move to the front of the room and the validation that accompanies seeing the steps she'd envisioned come to life. (43:04) 

Edited by Gus Reed

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another intimate New Combinations conversation, joined this week by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky. They discuss the origins—both within history and in Ratmansky's own career—of the Petipa ballet Paquita, excerpts of which provide the foundations for his newest ballet for the company. Ratmansky explains his use of Balanchine's Minkus Pas de Trois in revisiting this "feast of classical dancing," and the ways in which his work brings extensive research into conversation with the vocabulary of today's dancers. (30:45)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co.

Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan and former Soloists Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich and Repetiteur Diana White for a conversation about Jerome Robbins' The Cage. From its "empowering" choreography to the manners in which the relationship between the Mother and the Novice mimic that of senior and newer members of the company, they describe the unique qualities of this ballet beloved by dancers and audiences alike. (59:01

Written by Silas Farley 
Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Concerto in D for String Orchestra, "Basler" (1946) by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra

Reading List:
1. Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill
2. Jerome Robbins, by Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished
Memoir by Jerome Robbins, Edited by Amanda Vaill
3. Jerome Robbins: A Life in Dance by Wendy Lesser
4. Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 by Stephen Walsh
5. Stravinsky: The Second Exile, France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh
6. The Stravinsky Festival of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner

In this episode of New Combinations, host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck in the lead-up to the world premiere of his latest work for the company, Mystic Familiar. Peck shares the thematic underpinnings of this "younger brother" to his 2017 ballet The Times Are Racing, which brings together many of the same artists as that earlier work. They discuss the ways in which Mystic Familiar celebrates the dancers' communal energy in an anthem-like The Four Temperaments for the 21st Century. (35:23) 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

City Ballet The Podcast returns with a new Hear the Dance episode exploring George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. Host Silas Farley is joined by three former NYCB dancers whose engagement with this foundational ballet continues today: SAB Senior Faculty Chair Suki Schorer, Balanchine Repetiteur Victoria Simon, and SAB Faculty Member Meagan Mann. Together they trace the highlights and unique demands of Barocco's four distinct movements, describing how the apparent simplicity of the ballet demands plenty of hard work and helps build community amongst the dancers. (1:00:28)

Written by Silas Farley 
Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, B.W.V. 1043
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra
Kurt Nikkanen and Arturo Delmoni, Violin Soloists

Aria with Variations in G, BWV 988 (1742), "The Goldberg Variations"
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Susan Walters, Pianist

Reading List: 
1. Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds, with an
Introduction by Lincoln Kirstein
2. Thirty Years: Lincoln Kirstein’s The New York City Ballet by Lincoln Kirstein
3. Balanchine and Kirstein’s American Enterprise by James Steichen
4. Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique by Suki Schorer and Russell Lee
5. Balanchine Pointework by Suki Schorer
6. Balanchine Then and Now Edited by Ann Hogan
7. Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy with Sharon DeLano
8. Balanchine the Teacher: Fundamentals That Shaped the First Generation of New York City Ballet
Dancers by Barbara Walczak and Una Kai
9. Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner
10. Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner

Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box this week by Sandra Jennings, a former NYCB dancer who is now a repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, for a conversation about staging ballets on current performers. As Sandra shares, she travels the world to coach companies of various ballet backgrounds in Mr. B's works, acting as a bridge between the choreographer's vision and the artists of today; as she explains, these ballets are "living, breathing works of art" that are brought to life by the individual dancers. (59:26) 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz take the podcast from The Rosin Box to the barre for a conversation about company class, joined by Corps de Ballet Member Christina Clark and former NYCB dancer and current class teacher Amanda Edge. They talk all things real estate, fashion, and Destiny's Child vs. Ludwig Minkus, highlighting the importance of this daily ritual for building a sense of community as well as personal growth. (53:40) 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

The Rosin Box returns! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are back with another candid conversation, joined this time by Principal Dancer Unity Phelan and Corps de Ballet Member Naomi Corti. They break down some of the most common myths about ballet and Company culture, from whether performers are like the characters in Black Swan to the pros and cons of dating other dancers, and what the perfect "ballerina pedicure" entails. (49:12)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back for a New Combinations conversation with Caili Quan, one of three women choreographers whose ballets make up this year's Fall Fashion Gala program. They discuss Quan's path from studying dance while growing up on Guam to moving to New York City and performing with BalletX for eight seasons, and her transition to full-time choreography. Quan shares the ways her culture, family, and sense of home emerge within the work and contribute to the "warmth, grace, and generosity of spirit" Whelan felt when watching Quan in the studio. 

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

This week, host Silas Farley is back for another fascinating Hear the Dance conversation exploring Everywhere We Go. Silas is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and former Company Member Gretchen Smith, who met when they were barely teenagers dancing at the San Francisco Ballet School and collaborated several times over the ensuing years. Justin describes his development as a dance maker leading up the 2014 premiere, as well as his unique creative partnership with composer Sufjan Stevens, while Gretchen shares how dancing the ballet is "sheer joy." (57:19)

Written by Silas Farley
Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Everywhere We Go (2014) by Sufjan Stevens
All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra

Reading List:
The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet Edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes-Jensen
Illinoise Broadway Musical: An In-Depth Review and Guide to the Illinois Theatre Play of Sufjan Stevens and
Justin Peck Unveiling the Cast, Profile of Creators, Production Journey, Behind the Scenes, and Impact of the Show by Naomi Jeffrey
Marcel Dzama: The Book of Ballet by Marel Dzama, Justin Peck, and Hans Christian Andersen
Words Without Music: A Memoir by Philip Glass

The Rosin Box is back with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz delivering insiders' insights into the lives and times of today's NYCB dancers. This week they're joined by Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild, who will be retiring next spring, and Corps de Ballet Member Dominika Afanasenkov, who joined the company just over two years ago. They share what it's like to take center stage, from the nerves and coaching that accompanied their earliest lead roles to taking on a "diva" persona—and the one word that marked a turning point for Megan. (37:47)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week's episode of City Ballet The Podcast is a previously recorded See the Music presentation hosted by NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton. Accompanied by the Orchestra and Solo Pianist Susan Walters, Maestro Litton describes why Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2—the score for the Balanchine ballet of the same name—is less frequently performed than his first, despite being beloved by soloists and rich with beautifully romantic flourishes. Balanchine considered Tschaikovsky a "soulmate," a feeling borne out by his ability to make the composer's slightly less-genius works great with his choreography. (15:57)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

City Ballet The Podcast returns just in time for the upcoming 24-25 Season. Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by legendary former Principal Dancer and current School of American Ballet faculty member Kay Mazzo and Principal Dancer Anthony Huxley to discuss George Balanchine's Duo Concertant, one of the new works to premiere during the 1972 Stravinsky Festival. Mazzo shares her memories of the speed with which Balanchine choreographed each of the four movements, and commiserates with Huxley on the many unique challenges the ballet presents, including interacting with the piano and violin that share the stage—a "commentary on the festival itself," in Farley's words, as it honored Stravinsky's music and his importance to the Company. (48:57) 

Written by Silas Farley

Music:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky

All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra

Reading List:
Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph
Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans
Stravinsky’s Ballets by Charles M. Joseph
Stravinsky Inside Out by Charles M. Joseph
An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 by Stephen Walsh
Stravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh
Stravinsky: Chronicle of a Friendship by Robert Craft
Stravinsky: Discoveries and Memories by Robert Craft
The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner
Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy
Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner

As the Company concludes a Diamond Anniversary season absolutely bursting with repertory favorites, new restorations, world premieres, and successful tour stops around the world, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan talk about what went into planning and presenting the year's many achievements. From triumphant debuts to the return of dancers featured in NYCB's original opening night 75 years ago, and a number of significant firsts on the Company's stage—including the first new work from Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, the first Black Dewdrops in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®, and the first non-binary pas de deux in Justin Peck's The Times Are Racing—they had much to celebrate, all while looking toward NYCB's, and the artform's, ever-expanding future. (40:43)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by Igor Stravinsky
Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 (1875) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

One of our favorite episodes of The Rosin Box has arrived: this season's Ask the Dancer! Hosts Claire and Aarón are joined by Corps de Ballet Member India Bradley to answer your questions and dish about everything dance life, from what's in her dance bag to the ballet that "woke her up" to the possibilities of ballet, which are her favorite costumes and how she likes to prepare for a performance, and beyond. (46:11)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, hosts Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box by Soloist Megan LeCrone who gets real about what happens when things do not go as planned onstage. As they all agree, a certain degree of unpredictability is unavoidable in a live performance art like ballet; knowing how to pivot and when to let go after the fact is essential for any dancer. Megan shares her own experiences with a malfunctioning backdrop in one case and a missed count in another, and what it's like to face the challenges—and thrive—in a "rite of passage" show. (53:30)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, The Rosin Box makes its star-studded season debut with an episode all about NYCB galas. Listen in on live coverage from the most recent red carpet with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, and a post-fête conversation with Corps de Ballet Member and style maven Olivia Boisson. They'll discuss all the glitz and glamour and give helpful tips for thriving at these thrilling, twice-a-year events—including making the transition from pointe shoes to sky-high heels. (39:31)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill invites us to See the Music of Igor Stravinsky's Scènes de Ballet, the eponymous score for Christopher Wheeldon's 1999 work. Sill relates that the piece was composed in 1944 for Broadway impresario Billy Rose, and drew inspiration from both world events and a variety of creative sources—including the ballet Giselle—as with so many of Stravinsky's singular compositions. (12:49)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Who Cares?: The Man I Love (1924) by George Gershwin, Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra

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

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 Silvestri

Music:
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 Blake

Reading 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

Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back for another exciting New Combinations conversation. This week, she's joined by choreographer Kyle Abraham, whose When We Fell makes its onstage debut this spring after premiering as a dance film in 2021. Abraham shares how this fourth work for NYCB represents both the culmination of relationships he's built with company artists over the years, as well as a departure, in that the score is four minimal, "poetic" piano pieces that encourage a "focused eye." As he shares, part of what makes working with NYCB so special is the opportunity to take risks. (33:37)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

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 Silvestri

Reading 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. Eliot

Music:
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 Silvestri

Music:
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 Orchestra

Reading 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 Silvestri

Music:
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 Orchestra

Reading 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

Music Director Andrew Litton invites us to See the Music in this enlightening introduction to the score for George Balanchine's 1972 ballet, Divertimento from ‘Le Baiser de la Fée.' With superlative accompaniment from Solo Pianist Elaine Chelton, Litton demonstrates the many ways in which Igor Stravinsky's "homage to Tschaikovsky" took inspiration from 16 different piano pieces by the legendary composer to weave an undeniably Stravinskian—and danceable, in Balanchine's word—orchestral suite. (11:42): 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
Le Baiser de la Fée (1928) by Igor Stravinsky

Le Baiser de la Fée performed by Elaine Chelton

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 Reed

Music:
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 Tschaikovsky

Reading 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 Reed

Music:
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 Orchestra

Reading 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 Reed

READING 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 Holden

MUSIC:
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

City Ballet The Podcast returns in the run-up to our 75th Anniversary Season, which begins by celebrating The Foundation of the Company. Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan checks in with Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, who has been in the studios for three weeks, leading company class and observing as the dancers prepare for a Fall devoted to the works of George Balanchine. As he shares, “I’m learning as much as I’m teaching… Balanchine ballets give you different information in the different phases of your life." (36:11) 

Edited by Gus Reed

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

This week, City Ballet The Podcast wraps up the 22-23 Season with Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, who celebrate a year of discovery, change, and renewal. Highlights include a powerful corps de ballet, shaped in part through the growing culture of mentorship throughout the Company; Justin Peck’s momentous new work, Copland Dance Episodes; the return to international tours, including a wildly successful visit to Spain; and more. With performances beginning in just over three months, Stafford and Whelan share what they are most looking forward to in the coming 75th Anniversary year. (23:05)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

It’s time for the annual Ask the Dancers episode of The Rosin Box! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Corps de Ballet Member Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara to dig into questions submitted by listeners, from strategies for learning new choreography to secrets for staying motivated all season long. Listen in to find out what it’s like to work alongside dancers who’ve known each other since childhood and which step Meaghan describes as “delicious.” (54:07)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

Silas Farley returns with another Hear the Dance conversation, focusing this week on the George Balanchine pas de deux Sonatine, choreographed in 1975 as the opening ballet for the company's Ravel Festival. Repertory Director Christine Redpath shares memories of performing in that festival and of watching Sonatine's original dancers Violette Verdy and the late Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, commemorated in this episode by former Principal Dancer Peter Boal, while Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild describes the ways in which this ballet taught her that a single piece can have "many textures." (56:31)

Written by Silas Farley 
Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
Sonatine for Piano (1905) by Maurice Ravel
All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, All Sonatine excerpts played by NYCB Solo Pianist Elaine Chelton

Reading List: 
Thirty Years: The New York City Ballet by Lincoln Kirstein
Repertory in Review: Forty Years of The New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds, with an Introduction by Lincoln Kirstein
Balanchine Then and Now Edited by Anne Hogan
Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans
Ravel by Roger Nichols
Maurice Ravel: A Life by Benjamin Ivry
The Cambridge Companion to Ravel by Deborah Mawer
Ballerina: A Biography of Violette Verdy by Victoria Huckenpahler
Violette Verdy by Dominique Delouche and Florence Poudrou

This week, Soloist Olivia MacKinnon joins Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz at The Rosin Box to talk all things social media. Olivia shares how time away from the stage during the pandemic inspired her to pursue an amped up presence on Instagram, and the group discusses the importance of taking everything on social media with a grain of salt, while embracing the possibilities for new connections and opportunities. (37:19)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

Aarón Sanz is back from NYCB’s first tour in Madrid to join fellow host Claire Kretzschmar and guest Sean Suozzi for a chat around The Rosin Box. Suozzi, a former Soloist with Company, shares how his focus shifted to filmmaking, from his role as an Executive Producer on the 2010 film NY Export: Opus Jazz to his recent projects as a director, including 2019’s Sleeping Beauty trailer. He describes the creative process behind latest directorial effort for NYCB, the 75th Anniversary film, which will premiere this August. (47:23)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week’s episode features a special live presentation of See the Music, hosted by Associate Music Director Andrews Sill and Resident Conductor Clotilde Otranto. With a little help from the New York City Ballet Orchestra, they explore the combination of old and new, romantic and acrobatic in Igor Stravinsky’s commissioned score for George Balanchine’s Agon. As Otranto notes, Agon displays Stravinsky’s creativity in “full bloom.” (10:39)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky

All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra

Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another New Combinations episode, chatting with long-time friend, former ballet partner, and Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. He describes his journey from Royal Ballet dancer to New York City Ballet to Broadway and back again, with first new work for the Company in six years premiering on May 4. As Wheeldon shares, the “turbulent beauty” of artist Kylie Manning’s work was a major inspiration in the studio as he wrestled with the Schoenberg score; their collaboration, along with that of the dancers, helped bring From You Within Me to the stage. (43:24) 

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
"Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co