New Jersey Ballet Presents Icons of American Ballet

New Jersey Ballet returns to New Brunswick Performing Arts Center with Icons of American Ballet, a program celebrating groundbreaking choreographers who have shaped the identity of American dance.

The performance opens with George Balanchine’s iconic Serenade, a poetic and visually sweeping ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. As Balanchine’s first ballet created in America, Serenade remains a cornerstone of American neoclassical ballet, celebrated for its musicality, elegance and emotional depth.

Next is Justin Peck’s In Creases, a bold and musically driven work that marked his choreographic debut at New York City Ballet. Set to a propulsive score for two pianos by Philip Glass, the ballet showcases Peck’s signature use of rhythm, pattern and youthful energy, establishing him as one of the most innovative choreographers of his generation.

The program concludes with Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, a stylish and sophisticated tribute to love in all its forms. Set to recordings by Frank Sinatra, the ballet features seven couples navigating the joys and challenges of romantic relationships through a rich blend of ballroom, ballet, and Tharp’s unmistakable flair for theatricality and wit. Both timeless and contemporary, the work celebrates Sinatra’s music with movement that is as elegant as it is emotionally resonant.

Showtimes are 2 pm March 28 and 29.