Ballet for cowboys and soldiers at Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet in George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes

Naomi Tanioka and Paul Zusi in George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes

Gavin Abercrombie and Kansas City Ballet in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo

Kansas City Ballet in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo

Elliott Rogers in A Home Away by Caili Quan

Kansas City Ballet in Caili Quan's A Home Away

By Hilary Stroh, 21 March 2026

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“dancers lent into the whole cheeky foot-tapping, horse-jumping, arm-swinging essence of the thing”

Reviewed at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Muriel Kauffman Theatre, Kansas City on 20 March 2026

Stars and Stripes (George Balanchine)

Rodeo (Agnes de Mille)

A Home Away (world premiere) (Caili Quan)

Kansas City Ballet

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

Study in Scarlet: Rubies crown Balanchine’s Jewels in Vienna

Mark Pullinger, 8th February

With a trio of excellent performances, Balanchine's sassy Rubies proves the hit as Jewels – a relatively recent acquisition – returns to the Wiener Staatsballett.

****1

NBJ's Ballet Coffret is a feast of modern classics

Naomi Mori, 5th February

National Ballet of Japan's Ballet Coffret showcased the versatility of the company with modern classical works including Dawson's A Million Kisses to my Skin, van Manen's 5 Tangos and Balanchine's Theme and Variations.

****1

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Hilary Stroh

Hilary is an independent scholar and academic historian, based in DC. She has a background in violin, piano and ballet. Educated at Dublin and Cambridge, she has recently published her first two books.