One night last February, the New York City Ballet audience was all aflutter: Naomi Corti, a coltish teenage apprentice, was about to take the stage for William Forsythe’s Herman Schmerman, flanked by soloists and principals. Even in a company famous for sink-or-swim casting, it was a remarkable moment. And Corti immediately made an impression—by falling, […]

When audience members opened their programs at New York City Ballet’s revival of Herman Schmerman a few weeks ago, one name had everyone buzzing: Naomi Corti. Just an apprentice, she was dancing a featured role alongside principals and soloists in William Forsythe‘s challenging, go-for-broke choreography. How was this going to go down? Quite well, actually. […]