Let’s face it: The New York City Ballet’s digital spring season – a combination of taped past performances, workshops and podcasts – was one of the things that kept many of us going at the height of the pandemic. Now the company is back for its fall virtual season.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m., NYCB will release an all-George Balanchine program of the “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” and “The Unanswered Question” from “Ivesiana,” with excerpts from “Symphony in C,” “Liebeslieder Walzer,” “Episodes” and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto.” Leading dancers include NYCB principals Ashley Bouder, Sterling Hyltin, Maria Kowroski, Lauren Lovette, Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, Teresa Reichlen, Jared Angle, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Joseph Gordon, Anthony Huxley, Ask la Cour and Taylor Stanley, as well as former NYCB principals Janie Taylor, Joaquin De Luz and Jonathan Stafford, who is NYCB’s artistic director.
The second program, which premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., will feature two works by Balanchine, the company’s founding choreographer – “Kammermusik No. 2” (First Movement) and “Movements for Piano and Orchestra”; two works by Jerome Robbins – “Opus 19/The Dreamer” (First Movement) and “Glass Pieces” (Third Movement); as well as “Chiaroscuro” by Lynne Taylor-Corbett and “Red Angels” by Ulysses Dove. The performances feature principals Sara Mearns, Maria Kowroski, Teresa Reichlen, Jared Angle, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Gonzalo Garcia, Ask la Cour and Andrew Veyette; soloists Lauren King, Ashley Laracey, Unity Phelan and Brittany Pollack; and former principal Jennie Somogyi, former NYCB dancer Giovanni Villalobos, and former soloist and current resident choreographer and artistic adviser Justin Peck.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m., NYCB will release its first family-friendly matinee program of the season, which includes three ballets by Balanchine – “Tarantella,” featuring principal Megan Fairchild and former principal Joaquin De Luz; the first movement of “Western Symphony,” led by principals Abi Stafford and Taylor Stanley; and “Scherzo à la Russe,” performed by then-apprentices Olivia Boisson and Claire Von Enck, along with dancers who were students at the School of American Ballet at the time of the recording.
Each program will be available to view on NYCB’s website and digital platforms for one week. Details for additional offerings for the first week of programming – City Ballet The Podcast, released on Mondays; the hour-long intermediate/advanced ballet class “Signature Steps,” offered on Wednesdays; and “Ballet Breaks,” the 20-minute workshop for children ages 3 through 8, offered on Saturdays – can be found at nycballet.com/digitalfall.
