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
James Sewell Ballet James Sewell Ballet The James Sewell Ballet is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based ballet company of eight dancers founded in 1990 by James Sewell and Sally Rousse. James Sewell Ballet (JSB) was founded in 1990 by James Sewell and Sally Rousse in New York City. In 1992, Sewell and Rousse moved the company to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sewell’s hometown, where it has since resided for nearly two decades. James Sewell Sewell is the Artistic Director and co-founder of James Sewell Ballet. After moving to New York, Sewell trained at the School of American Ballet, where he performed with ABT II. Sewell was a