City Ballet The Podcast

Principal Dancer Tiler Peck discusses her upcoming choreographic debut with New York City Ballet, emphasizing her musicality in choreography and the joy she found working with the dancers. The episode explores her journey from dancer to mature ballerina, challenges faced during COVID, collaborative creation of a ballet piece, significance of mentorship, and the inspiration behind 'Concerto for Two Pianos'.

Former Principal Dancer Kay Mazzo, Repertory Director Christine Redpath, and Principal Dancer Unity Phelan discuss Jerome Robbins' In the Night. They explore the ballet's representation of human relationships, emotional expression in choreography, and the intimate connections between dancers on stage. The podcast reflects on the dynamics of love and conflict, the importance of authentic expression in dance, and the artistic evolution of ballet performance.

Soloist Sara Adams shares her experience with pointe shoes and tips for preparing them for performances, including changing pairs frequently during The Nutcracker. The podcast explores the history and evolution of pointe shoes, customization for dancers, and the sentimental value of worn shoes. The discussion also touches on the importance of toe protection, individuality in shoe makers, and the intricacies of pointe work in ballet.

Colleen Megley and Kristen Segin discuss NYCB's educational programs, including Family Saturdays and Access Programs. They emphasize George Balanchine's commitment to outreach. Segin describes Workshop Weekends as 'dance camp' for adults. The podcast explores the impact of these programs on both Company members and participants.

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

Dive into the collaborative journey of Balanchine and Lincoln Kirsten at New York City Ballet, exploring the evolution of Balanchine's ballets and the artistic influence of women in his life. Discover the power of dance in captivating performances like Firebird and Sugar Plum, and explore Balanchine's radical choreography in the Schoenberg Ballets Opus 34. Delve into the dedication, devotion, and complexity in the ballet world, and the balance of autocracy and freedom in theater leadership.

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

Former Principal Dancer Merrill Ashley and current Principal Dancer Tiler Peck discuss George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, sharing insights on the ballet's challenges, style, and history. They explore the emotional legacy, initial rehearsals, technical aspects of solo performances, and the importance of preserving Balanchine's choreography through coaching.

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