NEW YORK CITY BALLET: ON AND OFFSTAGE

With Elaine Chelton, Solo Pianist & Arturo Delmoni, Concertmaster

Excerpts will be performed from:

Apollo                                                                   
Taylor Stanley, Unity Phelan
Music by Igor Stravinsky                                          
Sara Adams, Alexa Maxwell
Choreography by George Balanchine

Divertimento No. 15                 
Sara Adams, Lauren Collett, Alexa Maxwell
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Choreography by George Balanchine*

Dances at a Gathering                                                      
Olivia Bell, Victor Abreu
Music by Frédéric Chopin                 
Choreography by Jerome Robbins                                    

The Cage                                                                                     
Alexa Maxwell
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Choreography by Jerome Robbins

Interplay                                                              
Lauren Collett, Victor Abreu
Music by Morton Gould                                      
Choreography by Jerome Robbins               

Symphony in 3 Movements                              
Sara Adams, Preston Chamblee
Music by Igor Stravinsky      
Choreography by George Balanchine*               

Love Letter (on shuffle)                                                                   
Taylor Stanley                                   
Music by James Blake
Choreography by Kyle Abraham                        

Love Letter (on shuffle)                                                                     
Olivia Bell
Music by James Blake
Choreography by Kyle Abraham

Year of the Rabbit                            
Indiana Woodward, Preston Chamblee
Music by Sufjan Stevens                              
Choreography by Justin Peck

Duo Concertant                                        
Indiana Woodward, Taylor Stanley
Music by Igor Stravinsky                              
Choreography by George Balanchine*

* © The George Balanchine Trust

TALENT BIOS

VICTOR ABREU is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. Mr. Abreu was born in New York, New York and began his training at the age of 10 at New York Theatre Ballet under Diana Byer. He attended the summer courses at the School of American Ballet, NYCB’s official school, in 2014 and 2015 before entering SAB full-time for the 2015 winter term. In January 2019, Mr. Abreu was named an apprentice with NYCB and in May 2019 he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet.

SARA ADAMS was born in Dennis, Massachusetts, and began her dance training at the age of six at the Mid-Cape Ballet Academy. She later studied at the Boston Ballet School, before taking a summer course at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summer of 2003. She enrolled as a full-time student at SAB from 2003 to 2008. She became an apprentice with NYCB in June 2008 and became a member of the corps de ballet in September 2009. In February 2017, Ms. Adams was promoted to soloist.

OLIVIA BELL is member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. She was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and began her dance training locally at age 2. She continued her training at The Dallas Conservatory under Jacqueline Porter, and at the Mejia Ballet Academy in Arlington, Texas, under Paul Mejia and Maria T. Balogh. Bell attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, in 2017 and 2018, before enrolling full-time at SAB for the 2018 winter term. She received additional training at summer programs at The Ailey School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the Chautauqua School of Dance, and Training Pointe with Debra Austin and Michele Gifford. Bell became an apprentice with NYCB in August 2022, and joined the corps de ballet in May 2023.

PRESTON CHAMBLEE was born in Wendell, North Carolina and began his dance training at the age of 14 at the Raleigh School of Ballet under Mary Legere and Pablo Perez. He continued his training at the International Ballet Academy in Apex, North Carolina from 2010 to 2013. Mr. Chamblee studied at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, during the 2012 and 2013 summer courses, and enrolled as a full-time student in 2013. Mr. Chamblee was named an apprentice with NYCB in August 2014 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in February 2015. Mr. Chamblee was promoted to the rank of soloist in January 2022.

ELAINE CHELTON has performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, in Denmark, Paris, Russia, Hong Kong & Japan as a solo pianist for the New York City Ballet. She has premiered new ballets by Eliot Feld, Boris Eifman, Liam Scarlett & Robert Binet and has worked with Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon & Susan Stroman. She was featured in a PBS Broadcast of NYC Ballet Live at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris and has also performed at the Vail International Dance Festival of Dance & Dancer’s Workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She studied piano with Zenon Fishbein, Morey Ritt & Leon Pommers and composition with Hugo Weisgall.

LAUREN COLLETT is a member of New York City Ballet’s Corps de Ballet. She was born in Glendora, California, and began her dance training locally at the age of four. At the age of eight, she started studying at Inland Pacific Ballet under Victoria Koenig, and in 2015, continued her training at the Colburn Dance Academy under Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette in Los Angeles, CA. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of NYCB, from 2013-2016, and entered SAB full-time for the 2016 winter term. Ms. Collett was named an apprentice with NYCB in November 2018 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2019.

ADRIAN DANCHIG-WARING was born in San Francisco, California. He began his dance training at the age of 11 at Dance Theatre Seven with David Roxander. Mr. Danchig-Waring entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2001. In October 2002 he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in June 2003 he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. In February of 2009 Mr. Danchig-Waring was promoted to soloist and became a principal in February 2013.

ALEXA MAXWELL was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and began her dance training at the age of four at Deanne’s Dance Studio. She later studied dance at other schools before enrolling at the Minnesota Dance Theatre for two years, where her teachers included Lise Houlton and NYCB alumna Gloria Govrin. In 2009, she began training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet studying under Marcia Dale Weary. During the summer of 2012, Ms. Maxwell attended a summer session at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student later that same year. Ms. Maxwell became an apprentice with NYCB in December 2012 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2013. She was promoted to soloist in April 2023.

UNITY PHELAN was born in Princeton, New Jersey and began her dance training at the age of five at the Princeton Ballet School, where her teachers included Douglas Martin, Maria Youskevitch, and Mary Barton. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, Ms. Phelan attended the summer sessions at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student in fall of 2009. She became an apprentice with NYCB in December 2012 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2013. In February 2017, Ms. Phelan was promoted to the rank of soloist, and in October 2021, she was promoted to principal dancer.

TAYLOR STANLEY was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began their dance training at the age of three at The Rock School in Pennsylvania. They attended summer programs at Miami City Ballet in 2006 and 2007 and at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summer of 2008 before enrolling full-time at SAB in the fall of that same year. In September 2009, Stanley became an apprentice with NYCB, and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2010. They were promoted to soloist in February 2013 and to principal dancer in May 2016.

INDIANA WOODWARD was born in Paris, France and began her dance training at the age of ten at the Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet in Venice, California. Ms. Woodward began studying at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, during the 2010 summer course and enrolled as a full-time student that fall. In August 2012, she became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in December 2012. Ms. Woodward was promoted to the rank of soloist dancer in February 2017, and to principal dancer October 2021.

ABOUT NEW YORK CITY BALLET

New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with an unparalleled active repertory of more than 150 works—most of them created for NYCB—many of which are considered modern masterpieces. The Company was established in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and arts aficionado Lincoln Kirstein at the City Center of Music and Drama, and quickly became known for pure neo-classicism, which resonated with modern audiences. In 1949, Jerome Robbins joined the Company as Associate Artistic Director and, with Balanchine and many guest choreographers, created a varied repertory that grew each season. In 1964 NYCB moved to its current home at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater (formerly the New York State Theater), where it grew into one of the world’s great dance companies. Balanchine choreographed countless works and created a company of dancers known for their speed and musicality, serving as Ballet Master of NYCB from its inception until his death, in 1983. Following Balanchine’s death, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins were named Co-Ballet Masters in Chief, and from 1990 until he retired in 2017, Mr. Martins assumed sole responsibility for the Company’s artistic direction. In 2009 Katherine Brown was named NYCB’s first-ever Executive Director, and in February of 2019, Jonathan Stafford was named Artistic Director of New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, and Wendy Whelan was named Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet.

For more information about the Company and its 2024-25 Season, which begins on September 17, please visit www.nycballet.com.

NYCB ON SOCIAL MEDIA 
For Facebook, X and IG: @nycballet
For LinkedIn: @NewYorkCityBallet