Peter Martins, who did his first choreography while a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, clearly believes, as Balanchine did, in developing in-house talent. Dancers with the company aesthetic trained into their muscles are likely to produce pieces that slip gracefully into the repertory. The May 4 NYCB gala premiered ballets by five choreographers who have been, or are, company members: Albert Evans, Edwaard Liang, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and Martins himself. All the works are respectable, some considerably better than that. And all show how well the choreographers know and cherish the dancers who... More >>>