Swan Lake defines a classical ballet company. It offers the epitome of cohesion for a corps de ballet, the apex of artistry for principal dancers, a challenge and a triumph for an orchestra, and an opportunity to lay claim to greatness. It certainly helped to […]
The words “ballet” and “gender-fluid” don’t often appear in the same sentence. In ballet’s early years at the court of Louis XIV, men danced in roles depicting women, but by the 20th century, gender entrenchment had set in. Princes […]
Artistic Director’s Notebook: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ 2021
“This cannon fires cheese,” Mr. Gio explained in a recent battle scene rehearsal for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, prompting all the nine and ten-year-old Soldiers to giggle uncontrollably.
“What kind of cheese?” asked Soldier Number Seven, […]
It happened. On September 22, the curtain rose, the orchestra played, bejeweled costumes caught the light, and dancers floated. It was exactly as we had witnessed countless times before, and yet, it felt […]
One day, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll have well-researched books, brilliant movies, pithy podcasts, and all historical accounts—complete with hindsight and scholarship—on the topic of this extraordinary time in our lives, but for now, we rely on […]
Dear Friends,
There were a few moments just over a year ago, when we looked at each other and wondered if PNB would survive the circumstances surrounding us – no dance, no music, no ballet […]
There were a few moments just over a year ago, when we looked at each other and wondered if PNB would survive the circumstances surrounding us – no dance, no music, no ballet […]
As a stream of earth-toned silk slices through space, a dancer vanishes before our eyes. It is a fleeting, yet memorable moment. So piercing and sudden, we question if our eyes deceived us. This is not the smooth […]
In the spring of 1974, my parents took my sister and me to a performance of George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova’s Coppélia at New York State Theater. It wasn’t my first ballet, but it was the one that prompted me to ask my mom […]
Language changes based on the times we are living in. New words are introduced. Words that used to mean one thing take on a whole new meaning. This past year has […]
We are, collectively, what is often referred to in drama as the Greek Chorus. A large group of peripherals who laugh, gasp, interpret plot and articulate the hidden meditations of characters. We know where the story is headed. We can even sound […]