BalletCollective in The Times

The moment BalletCollective had been waiting for... The New York Times Review!

Whether you're a dancer, musician, choreographer, librettist, composer or director, you are all conscious of the reviews about the performances. Monday, August 19th marked a "first" for BalletCollective: our first review by the toughest critic for the New York Times - Alastair Macaulay. 

Stepping out on stage for the first time opening night at the Joyce Theater, one of my thoughts was... "I hope they like us!" Being theinsider, I was aware that many critics were to attend BalletCollective's performances. Who would write reviews and who wouldn't was up in the air. 

Days after the performances, Troy and I were still on such a high. It was an exhilarating experience. We kept thinking what great performances we showed. Yet, what we think isn't everything. What the critics think is important too. 

Then The New York Times review by Alastair was published. It is an incredible review. Alastair comments on all art forms of the collaboration (naming the dancers and collective members), and raves about Troy and BalletCollective. He calls Troy's ability as a choreographer, "a completely fresh use of familiar ballet language. And it’s the firmest sign, among many in the two works shown by Mr. Schumacher and BalletCollective last week at the Joyce Theater, that his is an intriguing new dance voice."

Alastair acknowledges the way Troy allows the audience to see into the society he has created, and also talks of his refreshing style: "He's addressing central questions about the genre of ballet — music, gender, body language, academic vocabulary — and without strain. His answers look both direct and unforced, experimental and refreshing."

He concludes by saying that BalletCollective and Troy Schumacher are the Joyce's "Balletv6.0's real discoveries"! 

If you missed The Times article, you can find it here!

Hearing the audience roar at the end of each performance was special. Reading the review in The Times was the icing on the cake! Cheers to many more years for Troy and BalletCollective! We look forward to the future and our next performance.