Elizabeth Portnoy

New York is the home of some of the most renowned and exemplary dance companies in the world, such as New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater. It is quite easy for New York balletomanes to fall into the habit of seeing the same iconic and large-scale works year after year. While there is nothing wrong with seeing particular dancers perform well-known works with their respective companies repeatedly, it is quite refreshing to see some of these New York based dancers perform new works on a much smaller scale.

On Saturday September 21st, the New Chamber Ballet, directed by Miro Magloire, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a five-piece program at the City Center Studios. The New Chamber Ballet features a small, but talented, company that showcases new choreography set to live music.

On June 23rd, Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes were scheduled to dance the lead roles of Odette-Odile and Prince Siegfried in American Ballet Theatre's Swan Lake. Unfortunately, after an exquisitely musical and technically proficient first act, it was announced that Ms. Murphy would not dance in the second act due to an injury, sparking a collective gasp from the audience, especially since the first act was danced so well.