Balanchine built this company on speed, musicality and a corps that moves like one organism, and the fall slate puts every register of that on the Koch stage in under four weeks. It swings from the plush Tschaikovsky grandeur of Diamonds to a twelve-dancer ballet where the two leads barely touch. If you have only one ballet night in you, pick a mixed program and see three centuries of ideas in two hours.
What to expect
Evening curtains and weekend matinees in a large house on the Lincoln Center plaza, with the NYCB Orchestra live in the pit. Mixed programs run three or four short ballets with two intermissions; expect the promenade to fill fast at the break. Casting is posted close to each performance and changes often.
Good to know
- 66 St-Lincoln Center on the 1 train drops you at the plaza; Columbus Circle (A B C D 1) is a short walk
- Fourth Ring seats are the cheapest in the house and give the best view of Balanchine's floor patterns
- Mixed-repertory bills suit newcomers better than a full-length story ballet
- Arrive early enough to walk the promenade and see the Chagall murals across the plaza at the opera house
- The Koch Theater has step-free entry from the plaza level and offers infrared assistive listening
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Common questions
Which program is best for a first-time ballet audience?
A mixed-repertory bill. Three short works with intermissions means you get contrasting styles and no long plot to track.
Is there a discount for younger audiences?
New York City Ballet runs a $30 for 30 program plus an under-30 rush option; details are on the company's ticketing pages.
Is live music included?
Yes. The New York City Ballet Orchestra plays every repertory performance.
More this weekend
