An extraordinary season for lovers of dance in Santa Barbara continues this week as Moves, the touring company of the fabled New York City Ballet, arrives at the Granada for two nights, presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures. Each night will have a separate program, making this a kind of mini festival featuring some of the world’s greatest dancers in what is unquestionably a selection of the most interesting and important contemporary ballet choreography.
Ever since Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine founded the company in 1948, the name New York City Ballet has been synonymous with both innovation and achievement on the absolute highest level. In addition to employing an incredible roster of famous dancers over the years, the New York City Ballet has been home to a number of great choreographers. Jerome Robbins joined the organization just one year after it was founded, and after Balanchine’s death in 1983, Robbins and the great dancer, choreographer, and ballet master Peter Martins became responsible for the artistic direction of the company, which makes its home in Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater.
The new century has been a good one for New York City Ballet and for the art form of ballet more generally. The great choreographers of the 20th century, such as Balanchine and Robbins, have been joined by a new generation with fresh ideas and the ability to create tremendous excitement in venues on multiple continents. Several of these artists are featured on the upcoming N.Y.C. Ballet Moves programs, including Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Peter Martins, William Forsythe, Justin Peck, and the company’s other ballet master, Jean-Pierre Frohlich. I spoke with Frohlich by phone from the company’s headquarters in New York last week, and he enlightened me as to the purpose and goals of the touring group Moves and gave some useful ideas about how to enjoy the pieces to be presented in Santa Barbara.