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 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