La Vie En Rose at Lincoln Center

Tonight’s New York City Ballet spring gala, titled “À La Française,” will include the newly-costumed Symphony in C (which Balanchine made for the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1947) and a new piece from director Peter Martins, set to French composer Marc-André Dalbavie’s score. In the latter, we’re looking forward to debuts from two of the company’s brightest young things, Lauren Lovette and 2012 “25 to Watch” Taylor Stanley. Benjamin Millepied, who quietly stepped down from his principal dancer position last fall to focus on his choreography, will premiere Two Hearts, starring dream team Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle.

Benjamin Millepied rehearsing Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle in
Two Hearts. Photo by Paul Kolnik, Courtesy NYCB.

At a talk celebrating Millepied’s career last week, he spoke about his training (he actually started in modern dance—including Cunningham technique—in his native Lyon) and was joined in conversation by Angle and Two Hearts‘ mischeviously brainy composer Nico Muhly. Roslyn Sulcas wonderfully captures Millepied and Muhly’s collaborative energy in this interview for The New York Times.

With Dior and Swarovski (who had a hand in the new Symphony tutus) as the evening’s sponsors, we’re hoping to be swept away by the glamour on and offstage. —Kina Poon