Dd Response: New York City Ballet featured on 60 Minutes

New York City Ballet forges the art form’s future? On Sunday, November 25th, 60 Minutes ran a piece on New York City Ballet in order, as it originally appeared to me, to promote the Nutcracker. I have the utmost respect for 60 Minutes and normally find their pieces to be thought-provoking and informative; I was thrilled to see that NYCB would be featured. But, as the feature began, the excitement I had been feeling slowly dissipated. Lesley Stahl began her report by disclosing she is huge fan of NYCB and has even served on the ballet’s board. This felt a little like a warning sign to me. The report focused mainly on interviews with Peter Martins the current NYCB artistic director and a former George Balanchine dancer.  In her introduction of Martins, Stahl states that the future of the dying art form lies on his shoulders. That was the first comment that really rubbed me the wrong way. I can understand how the future of NYCB rests on his shoulders, but the entire art form? Please explain Leslie Stahl. There is no substantial explanation throughout the piece given as to why ballet is dying. There is a fleeting reference to […]