Performer: Lauren King

A matinee performance that was bright and polished across the board, boding well for the company's future. 

Several important firsts at New York City Ballet: two female choreographers; the first black female choreographer; the first collaboration between a female choreographer and female composer. But the longstanding practice of pairing choreographers with fashion designers continues to prove problematic.  

Sofia Coppola's film closed on a note of optimism. The message seemed to be: “Normality is just around the corner. We’re coming back.” 

Judging by the enthusiastic audience reactions to this program one might have to rethink the modern/ballet divide. Maybe there’s only two types of dance – good dance and bad dance. 

Ballets live and die by their scores – as Balanchine knew when he kept returning to Stravinsky. His Symphony in Three Movements will live forever, as will Justin Peck's The Times are Racing, to Dan Deacon's America.

Modern dance choreographer Pam Tanowitz' first commission for New York City Ballet proved unruly yet fascinating, sandwiched between George Balanchine's enduring Valse-Fantaisie and Western Symphony.