Diana Byer to Step Down as Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet

Following a 44-year tenure as founder and Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet, Diana Byer will step down following NYTB's spring performances, May 4-8, 2022.

A former soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Manhattan Festival Ballet, New York City Opera, and the Juilliard Ensemble, Byer established New York Theatre Ballet in 1978. Under her leadership, NYTB has earned national acclaim for its restoration and revival of small masterworks by great choreographers and for its innovative hour-long ballets based on children's literature. She is a répétiteur for The Antony Tudor Trust, a member of the Board of Directors of the Dance Notation Bureau, a member of the Selection Committee of the Clive and Valerie Barnes Foundation, and an Education Ambassador for The New York Pops. She also served on the Dance Portal Advisory Board of The Children's Museum of Manhattan. In addition to her work with NYTB, she has staged the ballets of Antony Tudor for American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and The Hartt School, and the ballets of Agnes De Mille for ABT and the Alabama Ballet. In 1999, she coached the principals for the Columbia Pictures film, Center Stage. Byer was selected by Good Housekeeping magazine as the 2018 Humanitarian Hero. She was a long-time pupil and colleague of Margaret Craske, who was Director of Ballet Instruction at New York Theatre Ballet School until her retirement.

In 1989, Byer established NYTB's innovative community service LIFT program, providing year-round scholarships for talented at-risk and underserved children at the NYTB School. Based on auditions held in shelters and public schools, up to 30 children are enrolled each year - all given partial or full scholarship assistance. LIFT's comprehensive curriculum also provides class uniforms, academic and personal mentoring, and arts enrichment opportunities. Graduates have taken the diligence, discipline, and perseverance cultivated through LIFT to earn advanced academic degrees and to become professional dancers. The study program has won recognition from the White House and the National Endowment for the Arts as a model national program.

"New York Theatre Ballet has succeeded in ways big and small beyond my wildest dreams," says Byer. "From humble beginnings, NYTB has evolved into an important company with a unique voice and vision. For more than four decades, I have watched hundreds of dancers grow into fine artists, bestowing the beauty and power of dance to audiences young and old, new, and experienced. I am forever grateful to them and to our staunch supporters for enabling me to pursue my life's work, and I am excited to assist the next Director in a smooth transition as NYTB charts its next four decades."

"For more than 40 years, Diana's dedication and generosity extended beyond the studio and stage, touching the lives of countless young people," says Susan Meyers, NYTB Executive Director. "Her experience as a performer, coach, teacher, and mentor has built the foundation of NYTB, ensuring its legacy and continued success."

Byer will continue to direct the School of New York Theatre Ballet which she established in 1978. A search for her successor as Artistic Director has begun, with an announcement expected in May 2022.

For more information on New York Theatre Ballet, please visit www.NYTB.org

Founded in 1978 by Diana Byer, New York Theatre Ballet restores and revives small classic masterworks by celebrated choreographers, commissions work from promising contemporary choreographers, and produces innovative hour-long ballets based on literature for young children. NYTB's repertoire includes dances by Frederick Ashton, Merce Cunningham, Agnes De Mille, Vaslav Nijinsky, Jerome Robbins, James Waring, José Limón, and Antony Tudor. Contemporary choreographers include Pam Tanowitz, Gemma Bond, James Whiteside, and Art Bridgman & Myrna Packer, and Sir Richard Alston. NYTB has appeared with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and has performed at New York's City Center, Danspace Project, Jacob's Pillow, and Kaatsbaan International Dance Center. Known for its theatrical expressiveness, high production quality, and intimate accessibility, NYTB makes the art of dance accessible to individuals of all ages, at reasonable prices, locally and nationally on tour. Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times wrote, "New York Theatre Ballet confirms its status as an invaluable company."