Alexei Ratmansky joins New York City Ballet as Artist in Residence

Alexei Ratmansky will join the New York City Ballet in August 2023 as Artist in Residence.

As part of an initial five-year contract, Ratmansky will create at least one new work for NYCB each year, with the first scheduled to premiere during the 2024 Winter Season as part of the Company's 75th anniversary celebrations, which will take place from September 2023 through July 2024.

Ratmansky said,

This opportunity at New York City Ballet has opened a new creative door for me,” said Ratmansky. “After working with the company over the years, I am profoundly grateful for the chance to begin a new innovative conversation with the artists of NYCB, and its audiences, as Artist in Residence at the beginning of its 75th Anniversary season.  This role will allow me to devote my time and attention to making ballets, and is a true gift to a choreographer.  For NYCB to commit to my work is an honor and I look forward to what will follow. I want to thank the artists, board, staff, and supporters of NYCB for this opportunity.

In addition, Ratmansky will oversee and rehearse his existing repertory for NYCB, which includes six ballets that the choreographer has created for the Company since 2006: Russian Seasons (2006), Concerto DSCH (2008), Namouna, A Grand Divertissement (2010), Pictures at an Exhibition (2014), Odessa (2017), and Voices (2020).

It was recently announced that Ratmansky would leave his position as Artist in Residence at American Ballet Theatre, a position he has held since 2008. His contract with ABT terminates in June 2023.

New York City Ballet's Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan said,

We are very excited to welcome Alexei Ratmansky to his new artistic home at New York City Ballet. Alexei is one of the most important figures in the world of ballet and we know that he will enrich our repertory, inspire our dancers and musicians, and thrill our audiences with his extraordinary artistry.

Both Stafford and Whelan worked closely with Ratmansky on the creation of new works while they were dancers with NYCB, with Whelan creating leading roles in four ballets – Russian Seasons; Concerto DSCH; Namouna, A Grand Divertissement; and Pictures at an Exhibition; and Stafford dancing in the original productions of Russian Seasons and Concerto DSCH.

Since being appointed to their artistic leadership roles at NYCB in 2019, Stafford and Whelan have consistently programmed works by Ratmansky as part of the Company's repertory seasons.  The upcoming 2023 Winter Season will include Voices; and the 2023 Spring Season will include both Namouna A Grand Divertissement and Pictures at an Exhibition.

Whelan added,

Working in the studio with Alexei on the creation of his incredible ballets was one of the artistic highlights of my career as a dancer with NYCB. To have him now working with NYCB's current generation of dancers on a regular basis is a dream come true and I can't wait to see what he creates with our artists. Ratmansky will join an artistic leadership team that includes Stafford, Whelan, and the Company's Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor Justin Peck.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.