Puma Announces Active Wear Partnership with New York City Ballet

Global Sports Brand PUMA announced today that it will partner with New York City Ballet (NYCB), one of the foremost dance companies in the world, as their official off-stage active wear partner. This new alliance furthers PUMA's commitment to and efforts within the women's training category as well as in the arts and culture arena. This is a synergy that brings together two organizations that share the common pursuit of being the fastest, strongest, and best in their craft, and allows PUMA to provide products and services to some of the most elite artists and talented athletes in the world.

Beginning in October 2016, a number of dancers from the Company will be featured in several PUMA creative and marketing campaigns that will highlight women in sports and culture. In addition, PUMA and New York City Ballet will explore ways for PUMA to support a variety of NYCB initiatives, including the ballet company's education, audience development and dancer health and wellness efforts.

NYCB's dancers are true athletes who train, rehearse, and perform up to 12 hours a day. This partnership will see PUMA equipping the company with stylish yet functional active wear for the dancers' intense training regimens, and gear for their activities both inside and outside the studio.

"We are proud to partner with such a prestigious and iconic institution as New York City Ballet. The company's elite roster of ballerinas displays the utmost discipline and skill, and truly represent the attributes of the PUMA Woman - brave, confident, determined and joyful. This alliance helps reinforce PUMA's aim to expand our women's business into exciting and inspirational territories," remarks Adam Petrick, Global Brand & Marketing Director for PUMA SE.

"New York City Ballet is extraordinarily grateful to PUMA for its support, and we are very excited about the opportunities that this new relationship will provide. In addition to being extraordinarily talented artists, the dancers of the New York City Ballet are also some of the most highly-trained athletes in the world, especially renowned for their speed and agility, making a partnership between NYCB and PUMA, one of the most iconic sports brands in the world, a perfect fit," said Katherine Brown, NYCB's Executive Director.

PUMA is one of the world's leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For over 65 years, PUMA has established a history of making fast product designs for the fastest athletes on the planet. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Golf, and Motorsports. It engages in exciting collaborations with renowned design brands to bring innovative and fast designs to the sports world. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Dobotex. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. For more information, visit www.puma.com.

New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of more than 90 dancers and an unparalleled repertory of modern masterpieces. The Company was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic, contemporary style, and a repertory of original ballets that has forever changed the face of classical dance. Now under the direction of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and Executive Director Katherine Brown, NYCB is committed to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers. For more information, visit www.nycballet.com.