"After 50 years, George Balanchine's New York City Ballet male dancers—Jacques d'Amboise, Edward Villella and Arthur Mitchell—were reunited. The one-night-only event at the National Dance Institute in New York City (founded by d'Amboise in 1976) provided a rare glimpse of what it was like to work with Mr. B. during ballet's golden years at NYCB."
"In honor of the city's students (who are off on Lunar New Year), this event will feature a 40-foot-long scroll decorated by school kids with inspiration found in each of the five boroughs. Along with the unveiling of the scroll, the National Dance Institute and China's Dancing into the Future program will perform and put on an interactive mass dance."
"On Monday, February 5, the National Dance Institute (NDI) is bringing together three of New York City Ballet's former star male dancers—Jacques d'Amboise, Edward Villella and Arthur Mitchell—in a one-night-only program titled Balanchine's Guys. These ballet veterans will discuss what it was like dancing for George Balanchine, and the impact that he had on their lives."
"Jacques d’Amboise, the great American ballet dancer, is in possession of laughing eyes and a crop of white hair, and he knows how to turn an interview into a show. Wandering through the art-lined hallways of the National Dance Institute in Harlem on a recent afternoon, he gave the best kind of performance — around every corner, there was a new surprise, a new story."
"The spectacular young dancers of National Dance Institute's Celebration Team arrive at NJPAC with Harlem Night Song, a vibrant production that celebrates the work of legendary artists like Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Florence Mills, Jacob Lawrence and Héctor Lavoe."
Malika Lee Whitney, producer and host, invited Traci Lester, Executive Director, on the show to talk about NDI’s upcoming programming in 2018.
"A $1 million gift from the Josh and Judy Weston Family Foundation will underwrite the National Dance Institute Celebration Team in the coming years, enabling children to perform at venues across New York City."
"In dance, you can set a goal that's a little higher than you think you're capable of at the moment. And you work until you reach it. And the skills that you learned to climb those rungs make you capable of climbing higher. The steps taken toward excellence never end."
"In 1976, the New York City Ballet principal dancer ran the marathon the very first year that the course covered all five boroughs of New York City, according to The New Yorker. He trained for it without telling George Balanchine, mostly by running around the Central Park reservoir."
"Jacques d’Amboise is a legend and a hero not only in New York but around the country and throughout the world. He wants each child to succeed, and he has created an environment that helps them excel. His goal is pure and simple – instilling the desire in kids to be the best that they can be. What better way to do this than through dance?"
