Ballet 422: Following the creation of Justin Peck’s third ballet for New York City Ballet (and the 422nd original work made for the company), Ballet 422 provides a glimpse into the conception, rehearsal, and production behind an ephemeral—and excluded from the documentary—performance. (Restless Creature is also poignantly satisfying)
Children of Theater Street: This charming 1977 documentary, narrated by Grace Kelly, takes viewers into the life of young students at the Kirov ballet school as they work towards professional dance careers.
Dancing for Mr. B: Interviews with six ballerinas (Mary Ellen Moylan, Maria Tallchief, Melissa Hayden, Allegra Kent, Merrill Ashley, Darci Kistler) from the course of Balanchine’s career paint a lively and heartfelt depiction of the great choreographer at the helm of New York City Ballet.
Conversations on Dance: Michael Breeden and Rebecca King Ferraro bring listeners behind-the-scenes of the ballet world, with weekly episodes highlighting various facets of the art form. Interviews with former Balanchine ballerinas like Heather Watts and Patricia McBride are particularly magical, but guests include current and former artistic directors, dancers of all ranks, stage managers, pianists, dietitians, physical therapists, and historians.
Dance & Stuff: High school friends Jack Ferver and Reid Bartleme host a weekly chat where they talk about dance, theater, movies, and stuff. Wendy Whelan, Sara Mearns, Tess Reichlen, James Whiteside, and Isabella Boylston will please balletomanes, while interviews with Kyle Abraham, Lloyd Knight, Lar Lubovitch, Pam Tanowitz, and Netta Yerushalmy bring in a modern perspective. My roommates hear about Jack and Reid as if they’re personal friends, and their podcast makes me look forward to my Friday commute!
Holding on to the Air, Suzanne Farrell (other wonderful autobiographies include Jenifer Ringer’s Dancing Through It, Jacques d’Amboise I Was a Dancer, and Toni Bentley’s Winter Season: A Dancer’s Journal)
Apollo’s Angels, Jennifer Homans
Classical Ballet Technique (Gretchen Warren) and Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique
Balanchine Variations and More Balanchine Variations, Nancy Goldner (her writing on the 1972 Stravinsky Festival and NYCB’s Coppelia are also well worth pursuing)