The New York City Ballet has promoted seven dancers within the company at Lincoln Center's David H. Hoch Theater. Soloist Joseph Gordon has been named principal dancer, and corps de ballet members Daniel Applebaum, Harrison Coll, Claire Kretzschmar, Aaron Sanz, Sebastian Villarini-Velez, and Peter Walker have been promoted to soloists.
The promotions were made by Jonathan Stafford, who currently leads the Interim Artistic Team. They follow the recent firings of Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro after allegations of sexual misconduct. Chase Finlay, also accused of sexual misconduct, previously resigned.
Gordon joined NYCB as an apprentice in 2011 and as a member of the corps in 2012; he was promoted to soloist in 2017. He was recently seen in Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun and the premiere of Matthew Neenan’s The Exchange.
Applebaum joined NYCB as an apprentice in 2004 and became a member of the corps in 2005; he also recently danced a featured role in The Exchange. Coll started as an apprentice in 2012 and became a full-time Company member in 2013; he originated a featured role in Tony winner Justin Peck’s Easy for the NYCB stage. Kretzschmar began as an apprentice in 2010 and graduated to the corp in 2011; she has performed featured roles in The Exchange, as well as Easy. Sanz started as an apprentice in 2011 and joined the corps in 2012; he originated a role in the corps during this fall’s premiere of Gianna Reisen’s Judah. Villarnini-Velez’s apprenticeship began in 2012, joining the corps the following year; he originated a featured role in Kyle Abraham’s recent premiere The Runaway. Walker also became an apprentice in 2011 and was promoted to the corps in 2012; he made his debut in Easy this fall.
The Company also welcomes three new apprentices to the roster of the corp de ballet, after the Fall season. Jonathan Fahoury, Mira Nadon, and Maxwell Read join the Company as full-time members. Nadon will join the Company beginning with the upcoming festival at New York City Center, “Balanchine: The City Center Years,” and Fahoury and Read will join at the start of the Nutcracker rehearsal period in early November.
