100 episodes

Welcome to City Ballet The Podcast, an exploration of New York City Ballet where we'll journey through our history, delve into our new and existing repertory, and reveal insider tidbits.

Each season of City Ballet The Podcast features episodes that span three topics: New Combinations hosted by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, Hear the Dance hosted by dance educator and former NYCB dancer Silas Farley, and See the Music hosted by Music Director Andrew Litton.

City Ballet The Podcast New York City Ballet

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 7 Ratings

Welcome to City Ballet The Podcast, an exploration of New York City Ballet where we'll journey through our history, delve into our new and existing repertory, and reveal insider tidbits.

Each season of City Ballet The Podcast features episodes that span three topics: New Combinations hosted by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, Hear the Dance hosted by dance educator and former NYCB dancer Silas Farley, and See the Music hosted by Music Director Andrew Litton.

    New Combinations: Amy Hall Garner

    New Combinations: Amy Hall Garner

    As we prepare for opening night of Spring performances, Associate Artistic Director and New Combinations host Wendy Whelan catches up with sought-after choreographer Amy Hall Garner between rehearsals for her first commission for NYCB, premiering in just over a week. Garner shares the long, dance-rich journey—including summer sessions at the School of American Ballet, studying modern, tap, and jazz, and performing on Broadway—that led to this moment in her dance-making career. "I love being in the studio," she says of the creative process. "I think that's a sacred space." (40:04) 
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Music:
    "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird
    Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

    • 40 min
    Hear the Dance: Law of Mosaics

    Hear the Dance: Law of Mosaics

    City Ballet The Podcast is back! In the lead up to the return of two of Pam Tanowitz's ballets to the stage this spring—Gustave le Gray No. 1, from 2019, and Law of Mosaics, which premiered in 2022—Former Principal Dancer Russell Janzen and current Soloist Miriam Miller join Hear the Dance host Silas Farley to discuss working with the singular choreographer. As both dancers describe, Tanowitz's unique approach to ballet and generosity in the studio make familiar steps new, freeing the performers to challenge themselves and discover new aspects of their own artistry. (1:14:37)
    Written by Silas Farley
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Reading List:
    Reality Hunger: A Manifesto by David Shields
    Béla Bartók by David Cooper
    The Prickly Rose: A Biography of Viola Farber by Jeff Slayton Merce Cunningham by Roger Copeland
    Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
    Music:
    Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
    Law of Mosaics (2012) by Ted Hearne

    All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra

    • 1 hr 14 min
    The Rosin Box: Partnering

    The Rosin Box: Partnering

    This week at The Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are joined by NYCB dancers and "real-life" couple Emily Kikta and Peter Walker to talk about partnering—onstage and off. Peter and Aarón share their memories of learning from legendary former Principal Dancer Jock Soto, who taught partnering at the School of American Ballet when they were students, while Claire and Emily reflect on the ways in which pas de deux challenge their stamina while offering opportunities to take risks. The most important element for a successful partnership, they all agree, is simple, if not always easy: communication. (56:23) 
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Music:
    "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
    Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

    • 56 min
    The Rosin Box: Wellness

    The Rosin Box: Wellness

    Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are back at The Rosin Box, joined by Corps de Ballet Member and Get Golden founder Jenelle Manzi. Jenelle describes her journey to the stage and how struggles with injuries and food allergies inspired her to start crafting her own anti-inflammatory recipes. As she shares, a stray comment from a colleague on the tour bus to the Kennedy Center sparked the formation of her business, which she runs alongside performing full-time with the Company. (40:49)
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Music:
    "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
    Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

    • 40 min
    The Rosin Box: Costume Shop

    The Rosin Box: Costume Shop

    The Rosin Box returns for another round of candid conversations with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by NYCB Director of Costumes Marc Happel to talk all things tutus and beyond. Happel shares his journey to the Company's storied costume shop, where decades ago Co-Founder George Balanchine collaborated with Barbara Karinska on the innovative powderpuff tutu, and artisans fit and craft costumes for today's dancers under Happel's direction. (43:32) 
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Music:
    "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini
    Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

    • 43 min
    See the Music: Symphony in Three Movements

    See the Music: Symphony in Three Movements

    In this week's See the Music episode, we revisit a 2013 live presentation with host and Associate Music Director Andrews Sill, exploring Igor Stravinsky's 1945 composition Symphony in Three Movements, the score for the George Balanchine ballet of the same name. With help from the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Maestro Sill highlights the musical "nuts and bolts" of this galvanizing piece, and outlines some of the cinematic and real-world inspirations for its taut construction and powerful impact. (14:39)
    Edited by Emilie Silvestri
    Music:
    Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky
    All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra

    • 14 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
7 Ratings

7 Ratings

Chris W G ,

Tiler Peck - Force of Nature!

I really loved the episode with Tiler Peck. Here in the UK we don’t get the chance to see her dance much and although I did see her on my one visit to New York to see NYCB ten years ago she really came to my attention when I saw her Turn it Out show at Sadler’s Wells in London back in March last year. Seeing that I would say that she is now simply the most exciting dancer out there - technically brilliant but also completely engaging.

A few months later I then saw the world premiere of the piece she choreographed for Northern Ballet in Leeds. I was very impressed, especially with the way she followed the thread of Janacek’s music whilst at the same time following the thread of the real story of the composer’s infatuation with a younger woman that inspired the music. The term musicality was used in the podcast I saw that in abundance in Leeds. I noticed that Kevin O’Hare of the Royal Ballet was at that first performance and live in hope that he might commission Ms Peck (or her close namesake!) to set a work on his dancers.

I have a ticket for the first afternoon NYCB performance in their short run at Sadler’s Wells in a couple of months and am really looking forward to it - the programme looks like an intriguing blend of NYCB old and new. It would be great if you were to do a podcast about the trip!

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