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New York City Ballet

The New York City Ballet was the brainchild of Lincoln Kirstein. He wanted an American Ballet company that trained its own dancers and performed a modern repertory. When he met George Balanchine in 1933, he knew that he would be the right person to help him carry out his dream. After many failed attempts, the New York City Ballet was formed in 1948. Jerome Robbins was hired as Assistant Artistic director, and NYCB was on its way. After Balanchine's death in 1983, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins took over the company and school. Now, Peter Martins assumes full responsibilty for both. The company has over 90 dancers and 150 ballets, and the school, School of American Ballet, has over 350 aspiring students. The New York City Ballet's permanent residence is Lincoln Center (incidently not named for Kirstein, but for President Lincoln) and makes its summer home in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).
New York City Ballet Principal Dancers