There is no big mystery to why Russell Janzen is often cast in princely parts at New York City Ballet, roles like the cavalier in Diamonds and The Nutcracker, Siegfried in Swan Lake, and the man who partners the “first violin” in the slow movement of Concerto Barocco. His dancing is pristine, and he’s tall […]

Not all ballet dancers cling to their youth. At 26, Lauren Lovette, the New York City Ballet principal, has surpassed the quarter-century mark. And she’s relieved. “I’ve never felt young,” she says. “I can’t wait until I’m 30. Every woman I’ve ever talked to says that at 30 you just don’t care. You’re free. Maybe […]

As any good bunhead would tell you, for me, Nutcracker is a yearly tradition as old as leaving cookies out for Santa Claus. But this year, I got to experience it with fresh eyes by taking both my 35-year-old fiancé and my 5-year-old nephew for their first times. I didn’t plan on being a Nutcracker […]

While it’s appalling that any male leader would use his power to humiliate women, the accusations against Peter Martins opens up a wonderful, rosy possibility. In an email conversation about Martins stepping down temporarily, a friend of mine wrote, “They won’t hire a man in this climate.” I suddenly found myself getting giddy with the […]

As dancers, we often talk about perfect feet, perfect turnout and the perfect execution of steps. We spend our days in diligent pursuit of the total mastery of our bodies. We seek to fully conquer space and time. We want our dance to be perfect, which is a powerful incarnation of our deeper human longing […]

This Saturday night, New York City Ballet principal Rebecca Krohn is performing for the last time, in Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. After 19 years at the company, she’s transitioning into a ballet master role. As she told Playbill, she’s incredibly grateful for the coaching she’s received during her career, and now she wants to give […]

The first executive director in New York City Ballet’s history is also the executive director of its home, the David H. Koch Theater. Which means Katherine E. Brown oversees a 141-person staff and an annual budget of about $90 million. Under her leadership, NYCB has never been more accessible. It consistently puts out shareable videos […]

Imagine being a student at the School of American Ballet, looking up to the dancers at New York City Ballet and hoping to one day join their ranks. Then imagine teaching your choreography to those dancers, and watching them perform it at the company’s fall fashion gala. SAB student Gianna Reisen will have this surreal […]