City Ballet The Podcast

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

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