Ballet Society Ballet Society Ballet Society is a non-profit educational institution founded in 1946 by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine. At its founding, Balanchine was the Artistic Director and Kirstein served as the Secretary. The president of Ballet Society is Nancy Lassalle, an original Board member of both the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet, currently Emerita. The first performance took place on November 20, 1946 at the Central High School of Needle Trades in New York City. In its first season, it opened with "The Four Temperaments" and the "Spellbound Child". Ballet Society's purpose was to develop
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