Carolina Ballet in the Triangle region was not only needed but desired as well. Robert Weiss, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet and past artistic director of Pennsylvania Ballet, was selected in April 1997 as the founding artistic director of the new professional company, known as Carolina Ballet, Inc. Dancers of the Carolina Ballet, as of April 2016: Carolina Ballet Carolina Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1997 which performs primarily in Raleigh, North Carolina and throughout the state. It has toured to New York City, Hungary and China. Robert Weiss, the artistic director, danced for George Balanchine for
New York City Ballet also occasionally accompanies other dance companies when they visit The David H. Koch Theater from other cities. These engagements have included the Australian Ballet in the spring of 2012, and the San Francisco Ballet in the fall of 2013. Over the decades the NYCB Orchestra has welcomed other noted orchestral musicians to collaborate on special performances. Included among this group was John Serry Sr., who served as the lead orchestral accordionist during the NYCB's 20th anniversary season in the premiere of Jacques d' Amboise's "Tchaikovsky Suite" (1969). Andrew Litton was appointed to the position on December 16, 2014, and started