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NEW YORK CITY BALLET INC

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 132947386 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A630 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Very Large (>$50M) · nycballet.com
revenue
$102.4M
expenses
$106.1M
net assets
$320.1M
employees
1,444
volunteers
112
program ratio
87%
mission · from form 990

PERFORM, PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN CLASSICAL BALLET.

profile · synthesized from sources

New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. It performs, promotes, and sustains classical ballet through a renowned repertory and company of dancers. The organization presents performances in New York City and beyond, while also engaging in education and public programs that reach students and diverse audiences.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $36K
    ANNUAL SUMMER RESIDENCY.
  2. #2 $1.11M
    BALLET EDUCATION: SEE SCHEDULE O.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Annual Summer Residency
Performance residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center featuring the full company.
Ballet Education Program
Multi-workshop residencies in NYC public schools for students in grades 1–5, integrating ballet with creative expression and literacy.
Family Saturdays
Onstage performances introducing children and families to NYCB repertoire, featuring company dancers and musicians.
Family-5 Program
Provides $5 tickets to underserved communities, veterans, special needs organizations, and constituents of NYC Council Members.
New York Choreographic Institute
Program supporting the development of new choreographic talent and works.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Organizational DEI Capacity Building 1 activity
    • Advances organizational equity and inclusion
      Conducts listening sessions, focus groups, and anti-racism training with external consultants and has developed a shared vision, core values, and action plan to advance justice, inclusion, equity, and access across the organization.
  • Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
    • Delivers education and community engagement programs
      Reaches approximately 25,000 students, families, and adults annually through education and public programs, including multi-workshop residencies in Title I public schools, student matinee performances, and Family Saturdays events. Transitioned to virtual delivery during the pandemic to maintain access.
  • Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 1 activity
    • Expands access to ballet through outreach and inclusion initiatives
      Offers discounted $5 tickets through the Family-5 program to underserved communities and provides accessibility accommodations including priority seating and American Sign Language interpreters at public events for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Annual Ballet Performances with Community Engagement 1 activity
    • Presents professional ballet performances and premieres
      Presents annual seasons featuring classical and contemporary ballets, including world premieres and new productions such as Alexei Ratmansky's Romeo & Juliet. Conducts an annual summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and preserves the artistic legacy and standards established by its founders.
  • Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
    • Produces digital media content featuring company artists
      Produces and publishes the Tête-à-Tête video series (11 episodes on YouTube) and City Ballet The Podcast, offering in-depth conversations with dancers, choreographers, musicians, and other artists associated with the company.
  • Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
    • Supports dancer development and professional transitions
      Operates a mentorship program pairing new apprentices from the School of American Ballet with current NYCB dancers and employs a Professional Placement Manager to assist students in transitioning to professional dance careers.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$102.44M
Contributions & grants$33.35M33%
Program service revenue$58.96M58%
Investment income$10.50M10%
Other revenue$-358K
expenses
Total expenses$106.13M
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$78.61M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$342.77M
Cash$4.38M
Investments$271.28M
Liabilities$22.63M
Net assets$320.15M
Liquid reserves31.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +14.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 12
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KATHERINE BROWN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $755K
ANDREW LITTON MUSIC DIRECTOR 40 $563K
JONATHAN M STAFFORD ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 40 $529K
WENDY M WHELAN ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 40 $501K
JUSTIN PECK ARTISTIC ADVISOR/CHOREOGRAPHER 40 $460K
BROOKS PARSONS SR. DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 40 $454K
FARANG AZARI CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 40 $447K
KAREN GIRTY SR. DIR. MARKETING AND MEDIA 40 $396K
ANDREWS SILL ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR 40 $370K
PHILLIP SCHMIEDL THEATER MANAGING DIR. THRU 5/2/25 40 $346K
JUDITH ELLIOTT-PUGH SENIOR DIR. OF HUMAN RESOURCES 40 $298K
JOSHUA LENIHAN SENIOR DIR. OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $293K
board members · 13
  • ALAIR A TOWNSEND — DIRECTOR (THRU 4/27/25)
  • ALAN SCHNITZER — VICE-CHAIR
  • ALISON MASS — DIRECTOR
  • ALLYSON TANG — DIRECTOR (THRU 6/26/25)
  • BARBARA J SLIFKA — VICE-CHAIR (THRU 6/22/25)
  • BARRY S FRIEDBERG — DIRECTOR
  • BONNIE STRAUSS — DIRECTOR
  • BRYNN PUTNAM — DIRECTOR
  • CAROL D MACK — DIRECTOR (THRU 6/26/25)
  • CATHINKA WAHLSTROM — DIRECTOR
  • CLARKE MURPHY — DIRECTOR
  • COMMISSIONER LAURIE CUMBO — DIRECTOR
  • DANIELLE TAUBMAN — DIRECTOR (THRU 6/26/25)
relationships · 21

Who they work with

  • Brown and Medina Nutrition Partner — Provides nutritionist services for the organization
  • Dance/USA Network — Former Board of Trustees member and current non-Board member of its Audit Committee.
  • Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Served as a dance panelist for the Department of Cultural Affairs.
  • George Balanchine Partner — Co-founder and founding choreographer of New York City Ballet
  • Jerome Robbins Partner — Founding choreographer of New York City Ballet
  • Jonathan Stafford Partner — Artistic Director of New York City Ballet
  • Justin Peck Partner — Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor of New York City Ballet
  • Lincoln Kirstein Partner — Co-founder of New York City Ballet
  • New York Choreographic Institute Partner — Affiliate organization through which New York City Ballet conducts choreographic development programs.
  • New York Choreographic Institute Partner — Collaborates with the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of NYCB, to support choreographic development through residencies and working sessions.
  • New York Choreographic Institute Partner — Jointly administered with NYCB, with shared leadership including Artistic Director and Managing Director
  • New York City Ballet MOVES Partner — Has a shared Artistic Administrator with NYCB
  • Randolph College Network — Current member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Randolph College.
  • Saratoga Performing Arts Center Partner — Hosted New York City Ballet's annual summer residency in 2019.
  • School of American Ballet Partner — Collaborates closely with the School of American Ballet in artistic leadership and dancer development, including mentorship and professional placement programs.
  • School of American Ballet Partner — Refers prospective dancers to the School of American Ballet for auditions for summer intensives and pre-professional programs.
  • School of American Ballet Partner — Trained at the School of American Ballet, which is closely affiliated with New York City Ballet.
  • The George Balanchine Trust Partner — Collaborates with NYCB, with dedicated staff roles for Director and General Manager
  • Wendy Whelan Partner — Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet
  • YouTube Partner — Hosts the Tête-à-Tête video series on its platform.
  • consultants Partner — Engaged external consultants to facilitate anti-racism training, listening sessions, and institutional change efforts.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Artistic Excellence Through Repertory and Talent Development
    methodology: artistic-excellence-through-repertory-and-talent
    By maintaining a world-class roster of dancers and an extensive, innovative repertory, we sustain high artistic standards and audience engagement, because excellence in performance and choreographic originality are central to our institutional identity and public impact.
  • Inclusion-Driven Organizational Transformation
    methodology: institutional transformation through anti-racism
    By transforming internal policies, practices, and culture through continuous learning and resource investment, we advance equity and belonging in ballet, because systemic change is required to overcome historical exclusion and realize an authentically American artistic expression.
  • Interactive and Integrated Education for Audience Expansion
    methodology: integrated-arts-literacy education
    By using interactive workshops, creative writing, and movement aligned with choreographic themes, we expand access and deepen engagement with ballet, because integrating arts education with literacy and experiential learning makes ballet more accessible and meaningful across diverse age groups.
  • Mentorship-Integrated Professional Continuity
    methodology: mentorship-integration
    By pairing current company dancers with new apprentices, we ensure the transmission of technical and artistic standards, because structured mentorship accelerates professional integration and preserves performance quality across generations.