New York City Ballet turns 75
Turning seventy-five is a milestone, especially for a ballet company. At three-quarters of a century, New York City Ballet is considered not just one of the best dance companies in the world, but also the foundation of ballet in America.
“For all of us that are here, I think we all really would agree this is the top of the top,” said Megan Fairchild, one of New York City Ballet’s principal ballerinas. The company is made up of 90 dancers, and has an unparalleled repertory of more than 500 ballets.
Asked what is different about the way dancers dance at New York City Ballet versus the rest of the world, Fairchild said, “We like to play with the musicality as we dance. There’s just nothing square about it. It’s playful, and it’s alive and spontaneous.”
New York City Ballet
That excitement has been part of the company’s ethos since the curtain first went up in 1948. New York City Ballet was founded by art connoisseur Lincoln Kirsten and choreographer George Balanchine, who wanted to modernize the 15th century art form. “Ballet in America was very young then,” said legendary dancer Suzanne Farrell. “[Balanchine] felt that part of his mission was to educate an audience, because they didn’t know that much about ballet.”
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Source: cbsnews.com