New York City Ballet

The idea for the New York City Ballet (NYCB) came from American philanthropist and art connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who imagined a ballet company in which dancers could train with the world's greatest ballet masters and perform a new, modern repertory. In 1933, Kirstein met with acclaimed choreographer George Balanchine in London and invited him to work in the United States, where they would build an American ballet tradition together. Balanchine's response, "But first, a school," is now part of ballet history.

In 1934, the School of American Ballet opened its doors. In 1948, with the help of Morton Baum, co-founder of City Center for Music and Drama, Balanchine and Kirstein established a resident company to be known as New York City Ballet, part of the City Center of Music and Drama. That same year, Balanchine tapped Jerome Robbins to serve as assistant artistic director. Today, NYCB honors its roots by presenting the ballets of Balanchine and Robbins — who choreographed much of the company's active repertory of 150-plus works — while developing new works by contemporary choreographers. Presenting about 60 mesmerizing ballets every year, the company also strives to make the art form accessible to all through tours, education programming, and other outreach efforts.