Join us for another round of cozy conversations at The Rosin Box, beginning with Associate Music Director Andrews Sill. Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz chat with Sill about how he came to this role with NYCB, why he prefers conducting for the ballet over symphonic performances, and which Balanchine work made him fall in love with the art form. With preparations for the return of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® under way, Sill shares how he keeps familiar music fresh—and that despite 14 years wielding the baton for the Company, he's still moved by many productions. (50:57)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: "Je ne t'aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, the two-part conversation between Hear the Dance host Silas Farley and dance historian Jennifer Homans continues. They discuss Lincoln Kirstein's essential role as a collaborator with Balanchine, the creation of Serenade, and some of the key personal and artistic moments in the ongoing history of the New York City Ballet. Homans traces the development of the Company's ethos through the individual dancers' devotion to Balanchine's vision and to the art form; Balanchine's presence, she describes, was an irresistible force. (1:31:11)

Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed

Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky Firebird Suite for Orchestra (1945), from Firebird (1910) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony No. 1 in C major (1855) by Georges Bizet Orpheus (1947) by Igor Stravinsky Accompaniment to a Film-Scene, Op.34 (1930) by Arnold Schoenberg Agon (1953-56) by Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, B.W.V. 1043 (1731) by Johann Sebastian Bach Two Part Invention In A minor, B.W.V. 784 (1723) by Johann Sebastian Bach Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (1893) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

Reading List: Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper George Balanchine: Ballet Master by Richard Buckle in Collaboration with John Taras Balanchine and the Lost Muse: Revolution and the Making of a Choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker by Robert Gottlieb Balletmaster: A Dancer's Vision of George Balanchine by Moira Shearer By With To & From: A Lincoln Kirstein Reader by Lincoln Kirstein, Edited by Nicholas Jenkins Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein by Martin Duberman Split Seconds: A Remembrance by Tamara Geva Zorina by Vera Zorina Choura: The Memoirs of Alexandra Danilova by Alezandra Danilova Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief with Larry Kaplan Dancing Past the Light: The Biography of Tanaquil Le Clercq by Orel Protopopescu Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph Balanchine and Kirstein's American Enterprise by James Steichen

In this first part of a special Hear the Dance episode, host and former NYCB Dancer Silas Farley is joined by dance scholar Jennifer Homans to discuss her recently published biography, "Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century." Homans describes how her own background as a dancer—including as a student at the School of American Ballet in the 1970s—and a return to Balanchine's works while facing personal loss inspired her lasting interest in the Company's founding choreographer. Farley and Homans dig into Balanchine's Georgian upbringing, the way the hardship and uncertainty of his years in Russia and France shaped his vocabulary, and the spirituality that infuses both his approach to the creative process and to the ballets he choreographed themselves. (1:03:58)

Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed

Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra

Reading List: Balanchine: A Biography by Bernard Taper George Balanchine: Ballet Master by Richard Buckle in Collaboration with John Taras Balanchine and the Lost Muse: Revolution and the Making of a Choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker by Robert Gottlieb Balletmaster: A Dancer's Vision of George Balanchine by Moira Shearer By With To & From: A Lincoln Kirstein Reader by Lincoln Kirstein, Edited by Nicholas Jenkins Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans

In this week's See the Music episode, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill provides a taste of history and context for Tschaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, the score of the first ballet George Balanchine choreographed in the United States. Sill discusses the way the composition's symmetries represent an homage to Mozart, and how Tschaikovsky marries "classical forms, folk tunes, and extroverted romantic expression" in the piece, which, combined with Balanchine's choreography, resulted in the iconic ballet beloved by audiences, dancers, and musicians today. (13:14)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky. Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky All music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra

This week's episode is a special Hear the Dance reunion: former NYCB Dancer Silas Farley hosts a wide-ranging conversation between legendary former Principal Dancer Merrill Ashley and current Principal Dancer Tiler Peck on George Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. As Peck shares, her first exposure to this daunting lead role was in a coaching session with Ashley, long before it became a mainstay in her repertory. Ashley describes the thrilling challenge of taking it on as a new-to-the-Company corps member, when the work was still referred to as Ballet Imperial, and the manner in which the ballet requires both stamina and style: "…the spirit is there. You're the princess, the queen, and everyone else is your court." (1:00:38)

Written by Silas Farley Edited by Gus Reed

READING LIST: Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds Balanchine's Tschaikovsky by Solomon Volkov Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century by Jennifer Homans Dancing for Balanchine by Merrill Ashley Tchaikovsky: A Biography by Anthony Holden

MUSIC: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 75 (1892) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra

New York City Ballet's Music Director Andrew Litton returns to host this week's See The Music episode, devoted to Igor Stravinsky's Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, the score for the Rubies section of George Balanchine's Jewels. Litton describes the captivating details of this composition from 1929, a prime example of the uniquely symbiotic relationship between Balanchine and Stravinsky, with a little help from Solo Pianist Stephen Gosling, who demonstrates some of the most challenging excerpts of the piece. (21:29)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Rubies: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) Igor Stravinsky

City Ballet The Podcast returns in the run-up to our 75th Anniversary Season, which begins by celebrating The Foundation of the Company. Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan checks in with Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, who has been in the studios for three weeks, leading company class and observing as the dancers prepare for a Fall devoted to the works of George Balanchine. As he shares, "I'm learning as much as I'm teaching… Balanchine ballets give you different information in the different phases of your life." (36:11)

Edited by Gus Reed

Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

This week, City Ballet The Podcast wraps up the 22-23 Season with Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, who celebrate a year of discovery, change, and renewal. Highlights include a powerful corps de ballet, shaped in part through the growing culture of mentorship throughout the Company; Justin Peck's momentous new work, Copland Dance Episodes; the return to international tours, including a wildly successful visit to Spain; and more. With performances beginning in just over three months, Stafford and Whelan share what they are most looking forward to in the coming 75th Anniversary year. (23:05)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48 (1880) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

It's time for the annual Ask the Dancers episode of The Rosin Box! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are joined by Corps de Ballet Member Meaghan Dutton-O'Hara to dig into questions submitted by listeners, from strategies for learning new choreography to secrets for staying motivated all season long. Listen in to find out what it's like to work alongside dancers who've known each other since childhood and which step Meaghan describes as "delicious." (54:07)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: "Je ne t'aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, Soloist Olivia MacKinnon joins Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz at The Rosin Box to talk all things social media. Olivia shares how time away from the stage during the pandemic inspired her to pursue an amped up presence on Instagram, and the group discusses the importance of taking everything on social media with a grain of salt, while embracing the possibilities for new connections and opportunities. (37:19)

Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music: "Je ne t'aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records