New York Theatre Ballet or NYTB was founded in 1978 by Diana Byer, who became its artistic director. Dedicated to the principles of the Cecchetti-Diaghilev tradition, the company both reprises classic masterworks and produces original ballets. New York Theatre Ballet has performed works by choreographers including Richard Alston,

Frederick Ashton Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 190418 August 1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue. Determined to be a dancer despite the oppositi ...

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

Gemma Bond Gemma Bond is an English ballet dancer and member of the corps de ballet with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Biography Bond was born in Bedfordshire, England. She received her early training in dance at the Sylvia Bebb School of Dance in Bedf ...

August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nep ...

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and a ...

, David Gordon,

José Limón José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...

John Taras John Taras (April 18, 1919 – April 2, 2004) was an American ballet master, repetiteur, and choreographer. Early life and education Born on the Lower East Side of New York City to Ukrainian parents, he was sent at age 16 to study balle ...

, and

Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...

. The company tours its family and adult programs both nationally and abroad, and has become the most widely seen chamber ballet company in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Ballet mistresses

The British ballet teacher

Margaret Craske Margaret Craske (26 November 1892 – 18 February 1990) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher of ballet. Life Margaret Craske was born on 26 November 1892 in Norfolk, England,Debra Craine, Judith Mackrell (2010). ''The Oxford Di ...

was ballet mistress for New York Theatre Ballet from its foundation until late in her life. Craske was succeeded by

Sallie Wilson Sallie Wilson (April 18, 1932, Fort Worth, Texas – April 27, 2008) was a ballerina who appeared with New York City Ballet where she danced opposite Martha Graham in the premiere of Graham and George Balanchine's collaboration at NYCB, ''Episodes ( ...

, a student of hers, who was ballet mistress until 2008. Wilson staged works by

for New York Theatre Ballet and also choreographed her own pieces.

Project LIFT

New York Theatre Ballet runs LIFT, a community program to give underprivileged children the chance to learn to dance. Steven Melendez, a former Project LIFT student, is the current director of the project.

Eviction and relocation

In the summer of 2013 New York Theatre Ballet began a fight against eviction from its home of over 30 years in the historic Parish House of the

Madison Avenue Baptist Church The Madison Avenue Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Manhattan, New York City. It is affiliated with the Alliance of Baptists, the American Baptist Churches USA, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, and the Baptist P ...

at 30 East 31st Street in Manhattan, after the building was sold to a private developer. The eviction generated interest as far away as Serbia, however, in early 2015, the company moved into the space formerly occupied by

Richard Foreman Richard Foreman (born June 10, 1937 in New York City) is an American avant-garde playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Achievements and awards Foreman has written, directed and designed over fifty of his own plays, b ...

Ontological-Hysteric Theater Richard Foreman (born June 10, 1937 in New York City) is an American avant-garde playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Achievements and awards Foreman has written, directed and designed over fifty of his own plays, b ...

in St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery in the East Village.

References

External links

Official websiteArchival footage of Gemze de Lappe performing Agnes de Mille's ''Come to Me, Bend to Me'' in 2007 at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Ballet companies in the United States Dance companies in New York City 1978 establishments in New York City {{ballet-dance-stub