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 Players New York City Players New York City Players is a not-for-profit New York City-based experimental theatre company founded in 1999 by playwright and director Richard Maxwell to present his work. The company has produced approximately 30 new plays in New York and has toured in over 20 countries. Among their notable productions are "Ode to the Man Who Kneels" and "People Without History", the latter at the Performing Garage in SoHo, Manhattan. The company's works have also been presented at Performance Space New York, The Kitchen, and Soho Rep in New York, and in Paris, Brussels, Dublin, London, and Germany.