Where to Find New York City Ballet Dancers this Summer

It's summer, which means most professional dancers are on break, aka laid off from their yearly contracts. I'm not kidding. Dancers are typically laid off from their jobs during the summer without pay, due to lack of work. Most New Yorker socialites are either off in the Hamptons or on a vacation somewhere fancy and therefore not attending the ballet. 

When dancers are laid off, they either go on vacation and collect unemployment, or look for paying gigs. Don't worry though, most dancers do well and some of these gigs are pretty fabulous. And if you (my lovely audience) are in the right place at the right time, you might be able to catch some incredible dancers on an intimate stage. Here is a guide as to where to find New York City Ballet dancers this summer:

• Ballet Collective: Ballet Collective was started by choreographer and soloist with the New York City Ballet, Troy Schumacher. This is their fourth year at their Telluride, CO residency. They are performing there July 23rd-28th. Dancers include soloist Sean Souzzi and also corps de ballet members Chris Grant and Mimi Staker, just to name a few. They are also headed to the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao on August 21st and 22nd for the museum's Works and Process program.

Ballet Collective Dancers in performance. 

• Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival : This is a fantastic gig coordinated by the one and only Tyler Angle, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. The events and performances began on July 23th and end on July 28th. You will find huge names here and fantastic repertoire. Superstars from NYCB like Sara Mearns, Jared Angle and Maria Kowroski will be there, as well as soloists Lauren King and Sara Adams, and corps de ballet members Meagan Mann, Lydia Wellington, Ralph Ippolito, Andrew Scordato, Daniel Applebaum, Devin Alberda, and Meaghan Dutton-O'Hara. Dancers from other dance companies will also be in attendance. If you are in Nantucket this is a MUST SEE performance. 

Dancers Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle/

• Vail Dance Festival: This dance festival takes place in Vail, CO and is curated by Damian Woetzel and his wife, Heather Watts. Both of whom are former principal dancers with the New York City Ballet. This festival begins July 28th and extends through August 11th. Tiler Peck is always in attendance here, as well as Lauren Lovette, Jared Angle, Miriam Miller, Daniel Applebaum, Preston Chamblee, Roman Mejia, and Unity Phelan. These are the only New York City Ballet dancers that they listed on their website, but I am sure others will be in attendance as well. Not to mention, that the biggest ballet superstars tend to gather here every summer. 

Lauren Lovette featured in a Vail Dance Festival advertisement.

• New York City Ballet in Copenhagen: Part of the company goes on tour to our European home in Copenhagen, Denmark. We will be performing all of our best rep from the classics to the new stuff, and all that goes in between. We are only performing at the Tivoli Garden Theater between August 15th-19th. If you are in the area during that time, buy the tickets now because they are almost sold out!

Tivoli Gardens at dusk. 

• Guild Hall: The Guild Hall Theater is located in East Hampton, NY and hosts a one night only performance exclusively featuring New York City Ballet Dancers. This year they are celebrating Jerome Robbins and his legacy. I don't know who is on the roster as of yet, but the show is curated by Jared Angle, and he has fantastic taste in dancers and repertoire. The show is taking place on Friday, August 24th at 8pm. 

Dancers Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, and Brittany Pollack in Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering.

• Stars of American Ballet at Jacob's Pillow: Stars of American Ballet is Daniel Ulbricht's touring gig company. They have shows all over the US during NYCB layoffs and are headed to Jacob's Pillow August 22nd-26th. These performances will also honor Jerome Robbin's legacy, and will feature some of New York City Ballet's best and brightest. Interplay is one of the ballets that will be performed there and it features the rising stars of the corps de ballet and soloists. And guess what? I'll be there too! 

Photo of Interplay featuring yours truly, in yellow. 

These are just a few of the most prominent gigs featuring more than one New York City Ballet dancer at each event. There are other gigs happening, but they tend to just feature one NYCB principal among other ballet stars. For example, I know Ashley Bouder is in Lake Tahoe right now at their dance festival, but I believe she is the only one bearing the NYCB title. If you want to get the most NYCB bang for your buck, head to the suggestions listed above. 

I realize that some of these places are extravagant, but it is summer. Live a little! If you happen to be in the area, treat yourself to one of these performances. I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Les Etés de la Danse

WHY ARE WE NOT IN PARIS RIGHT NOW?

I mean seriously, it seems like everybody is in Paris right now. I am oozing with a serious case of FOMO. Different ballet companies from all over the world have been flying into the 'city of lights' to perform in Les Etés de la Danse (summer of dance) festival at La Seine Musicale, a theater located on the outskirts of Paris. 

This year's festival is a two part event. The first part of the festival is a homage to Jerome Robbins. This year marks the centennial of his birth. Program one and two contained some of the best works by the beloved choreographer performed by some of the most outstanding artists of this generation. The ballet companies participating included:

• The New York City Ballet
• Miami City Ballet
• Joffrey Ballet
• Perm Opera Ballet
• Pacific Northwest Ballet

The New York City Ballet brought some of their biggest names including Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, and Tyler Angle to perform in Dances at a Gathering, probably one of Jerry's best works. They also brought Suite of Dances performed by Anthony Huxley (his debut) and Joaquin De Luz. 

The Joffrey Ballet shared the same program with NYCB, rounding it out with Interplay and Glass Pieces. Program two included In the Night and Other Dances (both performed by Miami City Ballet), The Four Seasons (performed by Perm Opera Ballet), and Opus 19/The Dreamer (performed by PNB). The only ballet missing from these festivities, in my opinion, is West Side Story Suite. 

The dancers in the Pacific Northwest Ballet are the lucky ones extending their stay until July 7th. They comprise part two of the festival. They also have two programs:

• Program I
• Tide Harmonic (ChristopherWheeldon)
• Red Angels (Ulysses Dove)
• Little Mortal Jump (Alejandro Cerrudo)
• Emergence (Crystal Pite)
• Program II
• Her Door to the Sky (Jessica Lang)
• Slingerland Duet (William Forsythe)
• Appassionata (Benjamin Millepied)
• Waiting at the Station (Twyla Tharp) 

Even though it is too late to see the homage to Robbins, I would fly over in a heartbeat to see the programs put together by PNB. The works listed above are choreographed by some of the leading choreographers in the world of ballet today. 

I personally have been dying to see Emergence, and it couldn't hurt to also grab a pain au chocolat along the Seine on my way to the theater in the city of lights.