Culture of New York City work. In these works each element is in and of itself expressive, and the observer determines what it communicates. George Balanchine, one of the 20th century's foremost choreographers and the first pioneer of contemporary ballet, formed a bridge between classical and modern ballet. Balanchine used flexed hands (and occasionally feet), turned-in legs, off-centered positions and non-classical costumes to distance himself from the classical and romantic ballet traditions. Balanchine also brought modern dancers in to dance with his company, the New York City Ballet; one such dancer was Paul Taylor, who in 1959 performed in Balanchine's piece "Episodes". Another significant modern
New York Theatre Ballet its home of over 30 years in the historic Parish House of the Madison Avenue Baptist Church at 30 East 31st Street in Manhattan, after the building was sold to a private developer. The eviction generated interest as far away as Serbia, however, in early 2015, the company moved into the space formerly occupied by Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theater in St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery in the East Village. New York Theatre Ballet New York Theatre Ballet or NYTB was founded in 1978 by Diana Byer, who became its artistic director. Dedicated to the principles of the Cecchetti-Diaghilev tradition, the company both