Best Nycb Podcasts (2026)

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Episode 151: The Rosin Box: Acting and Emotions 54:08

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2M ago54:08

54:08

The Rosin Box heats up this week with a lively conversation shared by hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz and their guests, Principal Dancers Gilbert Bolden III and Sara Mearns. They talk about acting and emotions onstage, including their favorite roles, techniques and practices, and hilarious memories. Whether conveying the characters …

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Episode 150: The Rosin Box: Dancing with Props 50:37

2M ago50:37

50:37

Listen in on another intimate conversation around The Rosin Box with host Claire Kretzschmar, joined this week by Principal Dancer Taylor Stanley. The topic is all things props, which provide essential context and character development for many of the company's story ballets and "teach you how to remain calm in the moment," as Taylor shares. From t…

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Episode 149: Rosin Box: Inspiration and Motivation 54:13

2M ago54:13

54:13

Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are back for another cozy conversation around The Rosin Box. This week, they're joined by Soloist Alexa Maxwell and Principal Dancer Gilbert Bolden III, who have plenty to share about inspiration and motivation, whether for their daily practice, during repetitive performance periods, amidst injuries a…

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Episode 148: New Combinations: Jamar Roberts 33:43

3M ago33:43

33:43

Associate Artistic Director and host Wendy Whelan is back for another enlightening New Combinations conversation. This week, she's joined by choreographer Jamar Roberts, whose newest work for the company will premiere during the Fall Fashion Gala on October 8, timing he describes as "full-circle," considering his own forays into fashion design. His…

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Episode 147: Hear the Dance: The Goldberg Variations (Part 2) 42:29

3M ago42:29

42:29

In the second part of this deep dive Hear the Dance discussion of Jerome Robbins' The Goldberg Variations, host Silas Farley is joined by former NYCB Dancers and current Repertory Directors Christine Redpath and Jean-Pierre Frohlich. Redpath, an original cast member of Goldberg, digs into Robbins' approach to the creation of this remarkably multi-f…

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Episode 146: Hear the Dance: The Goldberg Variations (Part 1) 1:12:53

3M ago1:12:53

1:12:53

In a special two-part Hear the Dance Episode, host Silas Farley leads us on a wide-ranging discussion of Jerome Robbins' 1971 ballet The Goldberg Variations. In this first part, Farley is joined by former NYCB Dancer Bruce Wells, an original cast member, and current Principal Dancer Emilie Gerrity, one of the ballet's present-day interpreters. Well…

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Episode 145: Hear the Dance: Ballade 1:02:43

3M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

Hear the Dance host Silas Farley returns for a deep-dive discussion with former Principal Dancer Merrill Ashley and Repertory Director Glenn Keenan on George Balanchine's Ballade, a ballet returning to the NYCB stage after a hiatus of more than 20 years. Keenan shares that when she was a student at the School of American Ballet, Ashley's "humongous…

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Episode 144: New Combinations: Heatscape 37:10

4M ago37:10

37:10

A brand-new season of City Ballet The Podcast launches today with a fresh New Combinations conversation between Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan and Resident Choreographer Justin Peck. Commissioned by Miami City Ballet a decade ago, Peck is in the midst of rehearsing his Heatscape for its NYCB stage debut, with the help of original dancers …

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Episode 143: Bonus: 24-25 Season Wrap-Up 39:52

6M ago39:52

39:52

As we shift gears to prepare for the upcoming season, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan take a moment to reflect on our just-concluded 76th year, from two strikingly unique and unforgettable world premieres—from Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky—to the return o…

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Episode 142: The Rosin Box: Ask the Dancer 39:06

7M ago39:06

39:06

Join us around the Rosin Box for our annual listener-contributed "Ask the Dancers" episode. Our intrepid hosts Claire and Aarón and special guest Corps de Ballet Member Lars Nelson answer your questions about rehearsal wear, dancing with Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, remembering steps, and more—including, "Explain dogs at New York City Ball…

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Episode 141: The Rosin Box: Choreographers and their Casts 34:11

7M ago34:11

34:11

Hosts Claire and Aarón are back at the Rosin Box, joined this week by Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia to talk about the relationship between choreographer and dancer in the creation of new works—especially in the case of Tiler's Concerto for Two Pianos from 2024, which featured Roman. As they share, the process is like a conversation b…

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Episode 140: The Rosin Box: Center Stage 37:47

7M ago37:47

37:47

The Rosin Box is back with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz delivering insiders' insights into the lives and times of today's NYCB dancers. This week they're joined by Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild, who will be retiring next spring, and Corps de Ballet Member Dominika Afanasenkov, who joined the company just over two years ago. Th…

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Episode 139: New Combinations: When We Fell 33:38

8M ago33:38

33:38

Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back for another exciting New Combinations conversation. This week, she's joined by choreographer Kyle Abraham, whose When We Fell makes its onstage debut this spring after premiering as a dance film in 2021. Abraham shares how this fourth work for NYCB represents both the culmination of relationships he'…

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Episode 138: See the Music: Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée' 11:42

8M ago11:42

11:42

Music Director Andrew Litton invites us to See the Music in this enlightening introduction to the score for George Balanchine's 1972 ballet, Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée.' With superlative accompaniment from Solo Pianist Elaine Chelton, Litton demonstrates the many ways in which Igor Stravinsky's "homage to Tschaikovsky" took inspiration …

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Episode 137: Hear the Dance: Sonatine 56:31

8M ago56:31

56:31

Silas Farley returns with another Hear the Dance conversation, focusing this week on the George Balanchine pas de deux Sonatine, choreographed in 1975 as the opening ballet for the company's Ravel Festival. Repertory Director Christine Redpath shares memories of performing in that festival and of watching Sonatine's original dancers Violette Verdy …

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Episode 136: Hear the Dance: A Suite of Dances (Part 2) 42:49

8M ago42:49

42:49

In this second part of our Hear the Dance journey into Jerome Robbins' A Suite of Dances, Cellist Hannah Holman joins host Silas Farley to provide a deep-dive introduction to the Bach Cello Suites that provide the ballet's exquisite score. As Holman explains, the music is a seminal work for every cellist, with complex challenges and varied delights…

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Episode 135: Hear the Dance: A Suite of Dances (Part 1) 1:05:11

8M ago1:05:11

1:05:11

This week, Hear the Dance host Silas Farley leads us on a wide-ranging exploration of Jerome Robbins' 1994 ballet A Suite of Dances. First, he's joined by Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich, who coaches the work; Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht, who initially learned the tour-de-force role in 2019; and former Principal Dancer Peter Boal, who …

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Episode 134: The Rosin Box: Students on Stage 1:05:12

9M ago1:05:12

1:05:12

This week around the Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are talking about students on stage, with the help of two dancers at either end of that journey: 12-year-old (soon to be 13!) Theo Rochios, a current student at the School of American Ballet, and Soloist Harrison Coll, who is a substitute teacher at SAB. They share some…

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Episode 133: The Rosin Box: Dance Pop Culture 48:12

9M ago48:12

48:12

The chat around the Rosin Box this week is all about dance in pop culture, with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz joined by Corps de Ballet Members Naomi Corti and Grace Scheffel. From Center Stage and web series like city.ballet and Strictly Ballet—featuring, among others, NYCB's own Mimi Staker and Alec Knight—to memoirs by legends …

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Episode 132: The Rosin Box: First Steps 43:05

9M ago43:05

43:05

We're back at the Rosin Box for another candid conversation with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by Corps de Ballet Member and budding choreographer Laine Habony to talk about NYCB's First Steps program. This singular initiative gives current company dancers the opportunity to create new works on their pee…

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Episode 131: New Combinations: Paquita 30:46

11M ago30:46

30:46

Host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back with another intimate New Combinations conversation, joined this week by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky. They discuss the origins—both within history and in Ratmansky's own career—of the Petipa ballet Paquita, excerpts of which provide the foundations for his newest ballet for the comp…

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Episode 130: Hear the Dance: The Cage 59:01

11M ago59:01

59:01

Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan and former Soloists Repertory Director Jean-Pierre Frohlich and Repetiteur Diana White for a conversation about Jerome Robbins' The Cage. From its "empowering" choreography to the manners in which the relationship between the Mother and the Novice mimic that of s…

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Episode 129: New Combinations: Mystic Familiar 35:23

11M ago35:23

35:23

In this episode of New Combinations, host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck in the lead-up to the world premiere of his latest work for the company, Mystic Familiar. Peck shares the thematic underpinnings of this "younger brother" to his 2017 ballet The Times Are Racing, which brings togeth…

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Episode 128: Hear the Dance: Concerto Barocco 1:00:28

12M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

City Ballet The Podcast returns with a new Hear the Dance episode exploring George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco. Host Silas Farley is joined by three former NYCB dancers whose engagement with this foundational ballet continues today: SAB Senior Faculty Chair Suki Schorer, Balanchine Repetiteur Victoria Simon, and SAB Faculty Member Meagan Mann. To…

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Episode 127: The Rosin Box: Re-mounting Ballets 59:27

1y ago59:27

59:27

Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box this week by Sandra Jennings, a former NYCB dancer who is now a repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, for a conversation about staging ballets on current performers. As Sandra shares, she travels the world to coach companies of various ballet backgrounds in Mr. B's works, acting as a bridge between…

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Episode 126: The Rosin Box: Company Class 53:41

1y ago53:41

53:41

This week, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz take the podcast from The Rosin Box to the barre for a conversation about company class, joined by Corps de Ballet Member Christina Clark and former NYCB dancer and current class teacher Amanda Edge. They talk all things real estate, fashion, and Destiny's Child vs. Ludwig Minkus, highlight…

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Episode 125: The Rosin Box: Ballet Myths 49:12

1y ago49:12

49:12

The Rosin Box returns! Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are back with another candid conversation, joined this time by Principal Dancer Unity Phelan and Corps de Ballet Member Naomi Corti. They break down some of the most common myths about ballet and Company culture, from whether performers are like the characters in Black Swan to t…

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Episode 124: New Combinations: Caili Quan 35:50

1y ago35:50

35:50

Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is back for a New Combinations conversation with Caili Quan, one of three women choreographers whose ballets make up this year's Fall Fashion Gala program. They discuss Quan's path from studying dance while growing up on Guam to moving to New York City and performing with BalletX for eight seasons, and her t…

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Episode 123: Hear the Dance: Everywhere We Go 57:20

1+ y ago57:20

57:20

This week, host Silas Farley is back for another fascinating Hear the Dance conversation exploring Everywhere We Go. Silas is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and former Company Member Gretchen Smith, who met when they were barely teenagers dancing at the San Francisco Ballet School and collaborated several times over the ensuing years.…

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Episode 122: See the Music: Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 15:57

1+ y ago15:57

15:57

This week's episode of City Ballet The Podcast is a previously recorded See the Music presentation hosted by NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton. Accompanied by the Orchestra and Solo Pianist Susan Walters, Maestro Litton describes why Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2—the score for the Balanchine ballet of the same name—is less frequently performe…

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Episode 121: Hear the Dance: Duo Concertant 49:58

1+ y ago49:58

49:58

City Ballet The Podcast returns just in time for the upcoming 24-25 Season. Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by legendary former Principal Dancer and current School of American Ballet faculty member Kay Mazzo and Principal Dancer Anthony Huxley to discuss George Balanchine's Duo Concertant, one of the new works to premiere during the 1972…

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Episode 120: Bonus: 23-24 Season Wrap-Up 40:44

1+ y ago40:44

40:44

As the Company concludes a Diamond Anniversary season absolutely bursting with repertory favorites, new restorations, world premieres, and successful tour stops around the world, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan talk about what went into planning and presenting the year's many achievements. From trium…

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Episode 119: The Rosin Box: Ask the Dancer 46:11

1+ y ago46:11

46:11

One of our favorite episodes of The Rosin Box has arrived: this season's Ask the Dancer! Hosts Claire and Aarón are joined by Corps de Ballet Member India Bradley to answer your questions and dish about everything dance life, from what's in her dance bag to the ballet that "woke her up" to the possibilities of ballet, which are her favorite costume…

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Episode 118: The Rosin Box: Dancing Your Way Out of It 53:31

1+ y ago53:31

53:31

This week, hosts Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box by Soloist Megan LeCrone who gets real about what happens when things do not go as planned onstage. As they all agree, a certain degree of unpredictability is unavoidable in a live performance art like ballet; knowing how to pivot and when to let go after the fact is essential for any da…

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Episode 117: The Rosin Box: Behind the Scenes of the Spring Gala 39:32

1+ y ago39:32

39:32

This week, The Rosin Box makes its star-studded season debut with an episode all about NYCB galas. Listen in on live coverage from the most recent red carpet with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, and a post-fête conversation with Corps de Ballet Member and style maven Olivia Boisson. They'll discuss all the glitz and glamour and giv…

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Episode 116: See the Music: Scènes de Ballet 12:49

1+ y ago12:49

12:49

This week, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill invites us to See the Music of Igor Stravinsky's Scènes de Ballet, the eponymous score for Christopher Wheeldon's 1999 work. Sill relates that the piece was composed in 1944 for Broadway impresario Billy Rose, and drew inspiration from both world events and a variety of creative sources—including the…

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Episode 115: New Combinations: Dig the Say 45:18

1+ y ago45:18

45:18

New Combinations host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, the performers of the latest world premiere work created on the Company: Resident Choreographer Justin Peck's Dig the Say. Roman shares the way in which the ballet was tailor made for the two dancers, in the mode of a "moder…

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Episode 114: See the Music: Pictures at an Exhibition 23:31

1+ y ago23:31

23:31

This week, NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton leads us on a promenade through the Modest Mussorgsky score to Alexei Ratmansky's 2014 ballet Pictures at an Exhibition. Beginning with a little background on the composer's short but complicated life, colored by contemporary critiques of his "disregard" for musical conventions, Litton is joined by Piano…

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Episode 113: Hear the Dance: Herman Schmerman 59:13

1+ y ago59:13

59:13

This week, Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by three dancers who know William Forsythe's 1992 ballet Herman Schmerman well: Original cast members Jeffrey Edwards and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, and current interpreter Tiler Peck. Edwards and Whelan recall the unique physical and artistic challenges Forsythe's choreography po…

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Episode 112: New Combinations: Amy Hall Garner 40:05

1+ y ago40:05

40:05

As we prepare for opening night of Spring performances, Associate Artistic Director and New Combinations host Wendy Whelan catches up with sought-after choreographer Amy Hall Garner between rehearsals for her first commission for NYCB, premiering in just over a week. Garner shares the long, dance-rich journey—including summer sessions at the School…

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Episode 111: Hear the Dance: Law of Mosaics 1:14:38

1+ y ago1:14:38

1:14:38

City Ballet The Podcast is back! In the lead up to the return of two of Pam Tanowitz's ballets to the stage this spring—Gustave le Gray No. 1, from 2019, and Law of Mosaics, which premiered in 2022—Former Principal Dancer Russell Janzen and current Soloist Miriam Miller join Hear the Dance host Silas Farley to discuss working with the singular chor…

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Episode 110: The Rosin Box: Partnering 56:24

2y ago56:24

56:24

This week at The Rosin Box, hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz are joined by NYCB dancers and "real-life" couple Emily Kikta and Peter Walker to talk about partnering—onstage and off. Peter and Aarón share their memories of learning from legendary former Principal Dancer Jock Soto, who taught partnering at the School of American Ballet…

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Episode 109: The Rosin Box: Wellness 40:50

2y ago40:50

40:50

Hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz are back at The Rosin Box, joined by Corps de Ballet Member and Get Golden founder Jenelle Manzi. Jenelle describes her journey to the stage and how struggles with injuries and food allergies inspired her to start crafting her own anti-inflammatory recipes. As she shares, a stray comment from a colleague on t…

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Episode 108: The Rosin Box: Costume Shop 43:33

2y ago43:33

43:33

The Rosin Box returns for another round of candid conversations with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz. This week, they're joined by NYCB Director of Costumes Marc Happel to talk all things tutus and beyond. Happel shares his journey to the Company's storied costume shop, where decades ago Co-Founder George Balanchine collaborated wit…

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Episode 107: See the Music: Symphony in Three Movements 14:39

2y ago14:39

14:39

In this week's See the Music episode, we revisit a 2013 live presentation with host and Associate Music Director Andrews Sill, exploring Igor Stravinsky's 1945 composition Symphony in Three Movements, the score for the George Balanchine ballet of the same name. With help from the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Maestro Sill highlights the musical "…

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Episode 106: Hear the Dance: Liebeslieder Walzer 57:03

2y ago57:03

57:03

Silas Farley is back with another deep dive into the Company's repertory in this week's Hear the Dance episode, devoted to George Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer. Farley is joined by former Principal Dancers Bart Cook and Maria Calegari, who share their memories of watching the ballet's iconic interpreters in its initial incarnations; learning ind…

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Episode 105: New Combinations: Tiler Peck 37:57

2y ago37:57

37:57

In the latest New Combinations episode, Associate Artistic Director and host Wendy Whelan chats with Principal Dancer Tiler Peck about memories from their time dancing together and Tiler's upcoming choreographic debut with the Company. Tiler describes how her internal sense of musicality drives her choreographic practice as much as her work as a pe…

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Episode 104: Hear the Dance: In the Night 46:54

2y ago46:54

46:54

City Ballet The Podcast launches this season with a new Hear the Dance conversation, guest hosted by Silas Farley, who is joined by three generations of dancers who are well acquainted with Jerome Robbins' In the Night. Former Principal Dancer Kay Mazzo originated the lead role in the ballet's first movement, about "young love"; Repertory Director …

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Episode 103: The Rosin Box: Pointe Work 46:37

2y ago46:37

46:37

This week, Soloist Sara Adams joins hosts Claire Kretzschmar and fellow Soloist Aarón Sanz at The Rosin Box to talk pointe shoes, from the first dancer to popularize dancing en pointe to all the sewing, banging, and prepping required to get this iconic footwear ready for a performance. Sara discusses her own history with pointe shoes and shares an …

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Episode 102: The Rosin Box: NYCB Education Programs 47:02

2y ago47:02

47:02

Join us this week for another conversation around The Rosin Box with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, who are joined by Senior Manager of School Programs Colleen Megley and Corps de Ballet Member Kristen Segin. They talk about the Company's many educational and public program offerings, from Family Saturdays and Student Matinee perf…