New York City Ballet Autumn Digital Season

NOTE: All programmes available free from 01:00 am (20:00 EDT) for seven days on NYCB's Youtube, Facebook and NYCBallet.com
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One of the silver linings of the spring lockdown was the unexpected opportunity to view a full programme of dancing from one of the most vibrant and exciting ballet companies anywhere: New York City Ballet (NYCB).

Now, and with its live autumn season cancelled owing to the ongoing Covid emergency, NYCB has announced an Autumn Digital Season – and for all that we are keen to make use of every last opportunity to go outdoors after so many months in lockdown, this particular season is definitely worth staying in for!

Here are the highlights (UK times):

30 September (01:00 am) – 7 October (01:00 am) – All Balanchine programme
NYCB was founded and fashioned by George Balanchine, and nobody dances his works like this company. This programme includes excerpts from some of the great choreographer's most memorable works, including the first movement of Symphony in C, to music by Bizet, the glittering Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, and two excerpts from Liebeslieder Walzer, to music by Brahms.

7 October (01:00) – 14 October (01:00 am) – A selection of excerpts from contrasting works
Excerpts from six works, including the first movement of Balanchine's Kammermusik 2, set to a score by Hindemith, Jerome Robbins's Glass PIeces and Ulysses Dove's Red Angel. Here's an introduction to the latter:


14 October (01:00 am) – 21 October (01:00 am) – A Balanchine/Robbins programme
This programme gathers excerpts from works by NYCB's two most influential choreographers: George Balanchine – Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (First Movement), Duo Concertante with music by Stravinsky, and the rousing Fourth Movement of Bizet's Symphony in C – and Jerome Robbins – the Scherzo and Finale of Dances at a Gathering (which we've recently had the opportunity to see in full in the interpretation of Britain's own Royal Ballet).

21 October (01:00 am) – 28 October (01:00 am) – Work by Living Choreographers
Among the seven excerpts included in this programme are works by NYCB's young choreographer Justin Peck – Rodeo and Year of the Rabbit – and the much in demand British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon – Polyphonia, a fast, highly technical work, requiring split second precision.

There will also be two family-oriented matinees, though the time difference means the first stream falls at 7:00 pm UK time

10 October (07:00 pm) – 17 October (07:00 pm)
Three jolly Balanchine works, guaranteed to hold the attention of younger audiences: the all-female Scherzo à la Russe to music by Stravinsky, the First Movement of Western Symphony, inspired by the legends of the Wild West, and set to American folk tunes, and the Tarantella pas de deux.



24 October (07:00 pm) – 31 October (07:00 pm)
This programme brings together excerpts from two Balanchine works: A Midsummer Night's Dream, including the simultaneously comic and endearing Donkey Pas de Deux (pictured top); and The Steadfast Tin Soldier, set to music by Bizet and based on Hans Christian Andersen's eponymous fairy tale.

There will also be a Festival of New Choreography running from 28 October (01:00 am) to 1 November (01:00 am). All the programmes of this festival will stream for an indefinite period.

Needless to say, these works will showcase some of NYCB's best dancers, including Principals Sara Mearns, Maria Kowroski, Teresa Reichlen, Tyler Angle, Lauren Lovette and many more.