Mission & History

MISSION | New York Theatre Ballet provides an intimate environment for the performance, study, and appreciation of classical and contemporary dance, with a commitment to cultural enrichment and enjoyment for all.

OVERVIEW | New York Theatre Ballet was founded in 1978 by its artistic director, Diana Byer. It is the most widely seen chamber ballet company in the United States. Hailed by Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times as "a discreet little pearl in the oyster of New York dance," NYTB has earned acclaim for its restoration and revival of small masterworks by great choreographers and for its innovative ballets based on children's literature.

NYTB tours its family and adult programs both nationally and abroad, and it operates the nationally-recognized, pioneering LIFT Community Service Program. Its audiences know the Company for its theatrical expressiveness, high production quality, excellent technique, and accessibility. Its aesthetic roots are in the Cecchetti-Diaghilev tradition of the Ballet Russe. The world-renowned teacher and ballet mistress Margaret Craske, brought to the United States by the great choreographer Antony Tudor, passed this tradition on to NYTB.

HISTORY | For nearly 30 years, NYTB has produced for adult audiences dozens of contemporary ballets and classic masterworks. Its roster includes choreographers Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, William Dollar, Agnes de Mille, John Taras, Antony Tudor, and José Limón. During the 2006-07 season, as a 100th birthday tribute to her, it presented a special program of ballets choreographed by Agnes de Mille, including original dances from Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Okahoma!, and Carousel.  In August of 2007, NYTB performed its A. de Mille Celebration at the Inside/Out Festival at Jacob's Pillow.  The Company will return to Jacob's Pillow on July 2, 2008 to perform its Signatures 08: A Celebration of Legends & Visionaries program.

NYTB's hour-long ballets for children began in the 1980s when Diana Byer commissioned Keith Michael to create The Nutcracker. It proved so popular among family audiences that other ballets were developed to meet the demand. This innovative concept grew into NYTB's current Once Upon a Ballet series. To date, NYTB has presented miniaturized versions of Cinderella, Carnival of the Animals, and The Firebird. Recent new works for the series are The Alice-in-Wonderland Follies and Mother GOOSE!. These entertaining and meticulously rendered productions have introduced thousands of people to the world of classic ballet.