News & Press

New York Theatre Ballet’s (NYTB) 2011-2012 season debuted an all-new production of Keith Michael’s Nutcracker joining Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Alice-in-Wonderland Follies in its family-friendly Once Upon A Ballet series. For adults, this season’s Signatures series includes José Limón's masterpiece The Moor's Pavane, as well as last season’s hit, Richard Alston’s A Rugged Flourish.
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By Robert Gottlieb, The New York Observer
Tuesday December 20, 2011

An appealing surprise turned up at the small but always intelligent and attractive New York Theatre Ballet at the Florence Gould Auditorium. Keith Michael has replaced his own Nutcracker, performed from 1985 to 2010, with a new version, and it’s a honey. On a tiny stage with a limited number of dancers—the Snowflakes, for instance, are just four girls and two boys—he has made an hour-plus miniballet intended primarily for little kids but equally enchanting for ancients like me. It’s completely ingenious the way he deploys the pretty cut-out scenery (by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith) and the equally charming costumes (by Sylvia Taalson Nolan), and it’s extraordinary the way he achieves so much with so small an ensemble. What’s more, the choreography is musical and inventive—and fun. These are committed dancers, as much at home in this classic as they were in Tudor, Cunningham and Alston the last time I saw the company. Details >

By Alexandra Cheney, The Wall Street Journal
Tuesday November 15, 2011

Twenty six years after she designed the costumes for choreographer Keith Michael's production of "The Nutcracker," Slyvia Nolan still has sugar plum fairies dancing in her head.  Although she spends most of her year as the resident costume designer for the Metropolitan Opera, a position she's held since 1997, this year Ms. Nolan is reuniting with Mr. Michael and the New York Theatre Ballet to help create a fresh "Nutcracker," with new costumes, sets and dances. Details >

By James Barron, The New York Times
Monday November 14, 2011

"It's the grueling time," Mr. Michael explained. "It's Nutcracker' season."  He and Mr. Parker are choreographers working on two distinctly different versions of "The Nutcracker," the ballet that, for audiences, is a hardy holiday perennial, with Drosselmeyer, toys that come to life and even fighting mice. Details >

By Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times
Monday May 16, 2011

The generous breadth of taste shown by New York Theater Ballet with its Signatures series is good for New York's whole dance scene. This weekend at the Florence Gould Hall it showed pieces by Frederick Ashton, Merce Cunningham and Anthony Tudor - three of the 20th century's supreme choreographers - as well as a world premiere by the British choreographer Richard Alston. Larger than the excellence of any one work here, which is saying much, was the stylistic diversity of the program. I've been grateful for this company before; I've never admired it more than on this occasion.
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By Tresca Weinstein, Special to the Times Union
Friday May 6, 2011

The 13 dancers of the New York Theatre Ballet have got moves, but, more important, they have heart, spirit and soul. In a performance at the Egg Friday night, this little treasure of a company imbued a wonderfully varied program with captivating drama. Details >

By Tresca Weinstein, Special to the Times Union
Thursday May 5, 2011

The New York Theatre Ballet shares its hometown and three of the words in its name with one of the most famous ballet companies in the world: the New York City Ballet. But the one word that’s different pinpoints what the New York Theatre Ballet is all about. Details >

By Wendy Liberatore, Gazette Reporter
Sunday May 1, 2011

New York Theatre Ballet is a small ensemble that serves the dance community in a big way – mainly by preserving important works that are rarely seen or are in danger of being forgotten. And the company, founded and directed Diana Byer, curates its repertory with love and respect. That care was obvious this past weekend at Kaatsbaan
International Dance Center where the chamber ballet performed a beautiful all-Antony Tudor program. Details >