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PODCAST: Alec Knight on Balanchine, Dreams, and His Western Symphony Debut

In this episode of The Dance Lens podcast, we sat down with Alec Knight, Soloist at New York City Ballet, on the cusp of his debut in George Balanchine’s Western Symphony. From early frustrations training in Australia to chasing the Balanchine dream across continents, Knight takes us through the unlikely path that brought him to Lincoln Center.

He speaks candidly about tackling Western Symphony’s fourth movement, the ghosts of a brutal knee surgery, and the ways every debut reshapes both dancer and ballet. Knight doesn’t shy from the industry’s messier edges either: the risks of typecasting, the fragile alchemy of partnerships, and the pressure to carve out individuality within a towering legacy.

He talks about how an artist can bring fresh energy to a Balanchine classic, how resilience fuels artistry, and why Western Symphony for him is a reckoning between grit, glamour, and survival in ballet’s most exacting arena.

Alec Knight Photo: Jean Claude Billmaier

‘Western Symphony’ is a ballet that at first glance looks like a raucous exercise in camp, but it is actually deeply rooted in the classical lexicon and all the accompanying difficulties. Choreographed by Balanchine in 1954, it is a true homage to American folk music and dance. Set on a street in the wild old west, the music is classic American folk songs, including “Red River Valley,” “Good Night Ladies,” and “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” all orchestrated by Hershy Kay.

Emily Kikta and New York City Ballet in George Balanchine’s Western Symphony. Photo credit Erin Baiano

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