Abi Stafford Lillo left City Ballet amid a family feud and a dispute over whether a choreographer had body-shamed her or she lacked the strength to dance her final role.
Tag Archives: New York City Ballet
Misty Copeland on ‘Serenade,’ Democracy and the Art of Movement
The ballet dancer reviews Toni Bentley’s sixth book: part memoir, part ode to George Balanchine and the art form he immortalized.
Lauren Lovette Named Choreographer for Paul Taylor Dance Company
Lauren Lovette, a former principal with New York City Ballet, has been named the resident choreographer of the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
Winter Season at City Ballet: ‘Now Is the Time for a New Generation’
The season saw more farewells, from principals Teresa Reichlen and Gonzalo Garcia, along with a rush of talent from the recently promoted.
A City Ballet Star Bids Farewell to the ‘Crazy Ballerina Life’
After 22 years, Teresa Reichlen, a “low-key” Hitchcock blonde, steps into her next chapter: motherhood and running a gallery.
Stephanie Selby, Ballerina Who Inspired Many, Dies at 57
A 1976 book of photographs and text traced her year at the School of American Ballet and made her famous. But a darker story lay underneath.
Review: City Ballet Gets a Modern Dance Fix
A new work by the Ailey veteran Jamar Roberts shared a program with revivals by Pam Tanowitz and Kyle Abraham.
Review: At City Ballet, Giving Voice to the Body, With Sneakers
Justin Peck’s “Partita,” set to Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer-Prize winning composition, opened New York City Ballet’s winter season at Lincoln Center.
At City Ballet, Jamar Roberts and Dancers Find a Common Language
“I was thinking about Balanchine a lot,” said Roberts, Ailey’s choreographer in residence, who is making his first work for New York City Ballet.
Justin Peck and Collaborators Combine Gravitational Universes
For his new work at New York City Ballet, Peck enlisted the composer Caroline Shaw and the artist Eva LeWitt: “It has really felt like a back-and-forth conversation.”
Arts Groups Bet Big on Holiday Programming. Will Children Come?
Children 5 and over must now have proof of vaccination to see shows and visit museums. As Covid-19 surges, arts organizations are trying to welcome their youngest audience members safely.
2021’s Bespoke ‘Nutcracker’ at City Ballet Meant Costume Changes
After the pandemic pause, nearly 130 costumes had to be remade for a cast that’s older and taller. Built in? Ways to adjust them back down in size.
Best Dance of 2021
A year of uncertainty was capped by a happy ending: a rush of performances this fall, including standouts by masters (Twyla Tharp) and breakout stars (LaTasha Barnes).
This Year’s ‘Nutcracker’ Kids: Taller, Older and Savoring It All
The return of New York City Ballet’s holiday classic will look a little different this season, with children 12 and above and new costumes for the party scene.
Rising Out of the Pandemic, City Ballet Ushers in a New Era
The fall season comes to a close at New York City Ballet, with a flurry of farewells and new beginnings.
Farewell to a Ballerina With Borscht Belt Humor and ‘Legs of Life’
Maria Kowroski, the reigning principal of New York City Ballet and the last company member to have worked with Jerome Robbins, takes her final bow.
The Road Back: ‘How Am I Ever Going to Dance Again?’
We talked to three New York City Ballet dancers — Megan Fairchild, Jovani Furlan and India Bradley — in the months leading up to their return to the stage.
‘I Feel an Abundance’: A Composer Dips Into the Dance World
The choreographer Andrea Miller chose Lido Pimienta — “she’s a superstar” — to score her new piece for New York City Ballet. They talk about breaking new ground.
Review: With Balanchine and Confetti, City Ballet Is Back
New York City Ballet opened its fall season on Tuesday with its first full-scale performance since the pandemic began. It felt like a rainbow.
Balanchine, the Teacher: ‘I Pushed Everybody’
He used to say he would be remembered more for his teaching than his ballets. The film “In Balanchine’s Classroom” provides a glimpse of that.
‘The Nutcracker’ Returns, With New Rules for Children
The surge of the Delta variant has prompted many dance companies to retool the holiday favorite. At New York City Ballet, there will be no performers under 12.
Oklahoma’s Gift to Ballet: The Five Moons Ballerinas
A festival at the University of Oklahoma celebrates the impact of these ballerinas on 20th century ballet, honoring their Native American heritage.
How Misty Copeland and Robert Garland Are Uniting Black Dancers
A rare gathering of Black dancers from different companies meet to discuss a new production on Little Island, curated by Misty Copeland and Robert Garland.
Patricia Wilde, Ballerina Showcased by Balanchine, Dies at 93
Quick and daring with New York City Ballet, she was a favorite of its leader, who would throw her into a role with barely a rehearsal.
Amar Ramasar, City Ballet Dancer, To Retire After Texting Scandal
Amar Ramasar, a principal dancer who was denounced by colleagues for sharing vulgar texts, will leave the company in May.
Georgina Pazcoguin Gives a Candid Account of Ballet Culture in ‘Swan Dive’
Georgina Pazcoguin, a New York City Ballet soloist, has written a page-turner of a memoir.
Some Venue Owners Get a Federal Lifeline. Others Are Told They’re Dead.
The first applications for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, offering $16 billion in federal aid, were approved.
Nancy Lassalle, Longtime Promoter of Ballet, Dies at 93
In 1941 she studied at George Balanchine’s fledgling dance academy. She was not destined to be a ballerina, but she dedicated her life to Balanchine’s legacy.
Only Connect: Yearning for the Intimacy of a Danced, Onstage World
Russell Janzen of City Ballet misses the physical and emotional closeness forged onstage, which are lost on video and in socially distanced dancing.
Review: Sofia Coppola Brings New York City Ballet Back to Life
Her film for City Ballet’s virtual spring gala, featuring a new solo by Justin Peck, explores the nooks and crannies of the company’s theater.
Jacques d’Amboise, a Ballet Star Who Believed in Dance for All
The New York City Ballet legend, who went on to form National Dance Institute, lived to the fullest — and danced with that same spirit.
Sofia Coppola’s Challenge: To Convey the Feeling of Live Dance
Coppola and Justin Peck talk about how they approached making a film for New York City Ballet’s digital spring gala.
Jacques d’Amboise, 86, Dies; Early, Charismatic Star of City Ballet
A product of Washington Heights, he embodied an all-American style, combining the nonchalance of Fred Astaire with the nobility of a classic male dancer. Hollywood came calling, too.
‘I Wish I Got Pregnant in March!’ Inside the Dance Baby Boom.
Many dancers have taken advantage of a byproduct of the pandemic — time away from performing — to try out a new role: motherhood.
Mary Ellen Moylan, ‘First Great Balanchine Dancer,’ Is Dead at 95
The celebrated choreographer created roles for her. The critics hailed her. Yet her death a year ago went unnoticed in the dance world.
Kyle Abraham’s Second Act at City Ballet: Spare, Wintry, Abstract
For “When We Fell,” a filmed dance, the choreographer took cues from a snowy bubble residency — and from Prince’s “Under the Cherry Moon.”
Ballet Is Hard Enough. What Happens When You Lose a Year?
An elite male principal. A veteran ballerina. A rising apprentice. Three dancers talk about life and work during the pandemic.
A Ballerina Takes a Leap of Faith, This Time in Herself
Lauren Lovette, the New York City Ballet principal, is retiring from the company but not from dance.
What Is a Ballet Body?
With performances on pause, many dancers are rethinking their relationship to weight.
Transcendent Spirits: Lift 40 Voices and Dance
Streaming highlights: the New York Chorale Society, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and City Ballet’s ‘Prodigal Son.’
Second February Snowfall Blankets New York
More than six inches fell on Sunday, and more nasty weather is expected this week, with additional snow and freezing temperatures.
With No Tickets to Sell, Arts Groups Appeal to Donors to Survive
Virtual cocktail parties have replaced black-tie galas as cultural institutions struggle to pay their operating costs.
‘On Pointe’: The Real-Life Adventures of Some Very Young Dancers
This six-part documentary on Disney+ takes viewers inside the School of American Ballet. You’ll get your “Nutcracker” fix, too.
Review: This ‘Nutcracker’ Is a Fantasy You Can Enter
Troy Schumacher’s immersive “The Nutcracker at Wethersfield” provides a dreamlike experience.
Dancing on Grass and Concrete at New York City Ballet
Using Lincoln Center as a set, the company’s digital New Works Festival features site-specific films by Justin Peck, Jamar Roberts, Pam Tanowitz and others.
Susan Hendl, Ballet Master and Dancer, Dies at 73
After dancing for George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, she became a longtime teacher at the New York City Ballet.
The Ballet Photo-Sharing Scandal Enters a New Phase in Court
The former New York City Ballet dancer who sent intimate photos of his girlfriend to others presents himself as a victim in a new court filing.
Could Dance Be a Weapon All Over Again?
It’s a scary time for body-based art. What will survive after the pandemic? As dance artists fight the old ways, a new empowerment is in the air.
Ballet Finds Itself on Higher Ground, Overlooking Lincoln Center
Six short works, including three premieres, were unveiled on a rooftop to benefit the new organization Dancers of N.Y.C.B.
Things to Do This Week
This week, meet the singer Tashera Robertson, hit a photo show and try your hand at making snow fluff.