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Welcome to City Ballet The Podcast, an exploration of New York City Ballet introduced by Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, where we'll journey through our history, delve into our new and existing repertory, and reveal insider tidbits.

The Rosin Box with Claire Kretzschmar and Aarón Sanz

The Rosin Box gives you the opportunity to listen in on candid conversations with members of the New York City Ballet. Hosted by NYCB Soloist Aarón Sanz and recently retired Soloist Claire Kretzschmar, these episodes take you behind-the-scenes, offering you exclusive insight into the lives of the Company’s dancers.

New Combinations with Wendy Whelan

During our performance season, New York City Ballet showcases recent works from some of the most influential choreographers working today. Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan hosts the New Combinations episodes, where she talks to the choreographers and other artists behind the unique new works premiering this season at New York City Ballet.

Hear the Dance 

Explore our expansive repertory, from the earliest Balanchine works to more recent classics, with an insider’s take on the Company’s rich history with Hear the Dance. Taking on a new ballet each episode, the host is joined by many key players, from original cast members to ballet masters to current NYCB dancers, who share their personal experiences performing and coaching works from our illustrious repertory.

See the Music with Andrew Litton

In See the Music, New York City Ballet’s Music Director Andrew Litton takes us off the stage and into the orchestra pit, giving listeners an in-depth look at the scores from some of our most notable ballets, featuring discussions with both orchestra members and commissioned composers.

Apr 22, 2025

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 throughout—all of which are complicated and enriched when performed onstage with the work's solo dancer. (42:48)

Written by Silas Farley 
Edited by Emilie Silvestri

Music:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky
6 Suites for Solo Cello: Prelude & Gigue from Suite 1 in G major, BMV 1007 Sarabande from Suite V in C minor, BMV 1011 Prelude from VI in D major, BMV 1012 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Symphony No.4 in E Minor, op.98 (I. Allegro non troppo, II.Andante moderato, III. Allegro giocoso, IV. Allegro energico e passionato) by Johann Sebastian Bach
All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma and Herbert von Karajan

Reading List: 
Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins by Amanda Vaill
Jerome Robbins, By Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir Edited and with Commentary by Amanda Vaill
Misha: The Mikhail Baryshnikov Story by Barbara Aria
Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir by Peter Boal
Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven by John Eliot Gardiner