NYCBallet Virtual Workshops and Classes Begin This Week

Following the educational offerings shared virtually in the spring and the fall, New York City Ballet will once again hold Virtual Workshops and Classes this winter. The four workshop series will focus on George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, the beloved masterpiece that NYCB recently announced will stream on Marquee TV this year beginning December 11.

The workshops include Ballet Breaks movement workshops for children, Ballet Essentials interactive repertory workshops for teens and adults, Access Workshops for children with disabilities, and Access Workshops for teens and adults with disabilities. NYCB will also offer Signature Steps, one-hour ballet classes designed for intermediate and advanced level dancers.

NYCB's Education Department will once again present Ballet Breaks, four online workshops for children ages 3 through 8, at 11am on Saturday, December 5; Saturday, December 12; Saturday, December 19; and Monday, December 28. Each of the four 30-minute workshops will be taught by a different NYCB dancer who will lead participants through a warm-up and movement combination inspired by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Live music accompanies all workshops, which are powered by Zoom. Suggested registration fees for Ballet Breaks online are $5 per workshop, which includes the live experience only, or $15 per workshop, which includes a Nutcracker coloring page and a Nutcracker activity page, in addition to a link to a digital recording of the workshop that will be active until Monday, January 4, 2021. For those unable to pay a registration fee, participation in the live Ballet Breaks workshops will also be available free of charge.

As a special holiday offering, NYCB will also be offering two Nutcracker Magic Pass Packages, with exclusive bonus content. The Nutcracker Magic Pass includes access for all four workshops to the Zoom livestream and the recordings through Monday, January 4, as well as a welcome video message from the Sugarplum Fairy, a fifth Ballet Breaks bonus workshop, and five Nutcracker coloring pages and five Nutcracker activity pages. The registration fee for the Nutcracker Magic Pass is $95 per household, and the package is available to purchase until Thursday, December 31. The Nutcracker Magic Pass Plus includes the Nutcracker Magic Pass bonus content, plus Meet the Magic, a 15-minute semi-private Zoom experience with a NYCB dancer, who will also sign a personalized certificate of completion for your child, and a Nutcracker Storybook Read Aloud Video. The registration fee for the Nutcracker Magic Pass Plus is $295 per household, and the package is available to purchase until Sunday, December 13.

Visit www.nycballet.com/balletbreaks and www.nycballet.com/nutcracker-magic-pass-packages for more information and to register.

NYCB's Education Department will also present Ballet Essentials, three movement workshops for teens and adults at 6:30pm on Monday, December 7; Monday, December 14; and Monday, December 21. The one-hour workshops are powered by Zoom and led by NYCB dancers and pianists who will take participants through a ballet warm-up and choreography inspired by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Suggested registration fees for Ballet Essentials online are $8 per workshop, which includes the live experience only, or $15 per workshop, which also includes a link to a digital recording of the workshop that will be active until Monday, January 4, 2021. For those unable to pay a registration fee, participation in the live Ballet Essentials workshops will also be available free of charge.

Visit www.nycballet.com/balletessentialsonline for more information and to register.

NYCB's Education Department will also offer Signature Steps, virtual ballet classes for intermediate to advanced level dancers who have a minimum of five years of training, technical proficiency, and a comprehensive understanding of barre and center work. These classes will move at a quick pace and include complex exercises. The hour-long sessions will be taught by a different NYCB dancer each week and will focus on the qualities that make New York City Ballet unique, including George Balanchine's signature aesthetic. Three classes will be offered at 6:30pm on Wednesday, December 2; Wednesday, December 9; and Wednesday December 16, powered by Zoom. All classes will feature live music and have a registration fee of $30 per class, which includes a link to a digital recording of the session that will be active for one week following the live event.

For more information and to register, visit www.nycballet.com/signaturesteps.

Online versions of the Company's Access Workshops, designed especially for people with disabilities, will also be offered by the NYCB Education Department. In these interactive movement workshops, powered by Zoom, NYCB dancers will lead participants through a warm-up and choreography inspired by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Three one-hour Access Workshops for teens and adults will take place at 6pm on Thursday, December 3; Thursday, December 10; and Thursday, December 17; and three 45-minute Access Workshops for children ages 4 through 12 will take place at noon on Saturday, December 5; Saturday, December 12; and Saturday, December 19. Registration is free for all live Access Workshops, and NYCB is also offering each live event and a link to a digital recording of the workshop that will be active until Monday, January 4, 2021, for a $15 registration fee (which also includes a Nutcracker coloring page and a Nutcracker activity page for the Access Workshops for children).

Visit www.nycballet.com/accessworkshops and www.nycballet.com/childrensaccessworkshops for more information and to register.