Adrian Danchig-Waring Bids Farewell to New York City Ballet with a Post‑Show Rave
When a dancer’s career is measured, one can count the years spent in the company, the toll of training on the body, the signature roles that become personal landmarks, the new works they have helped create, and the influence they leave on younger artists and the institution. All of those elements were evident on Sunday as New York City Ballet principal Adrian Danchig‑Waring took his final bow, a bouquet of white roses tied with ribbon in hand.
The California native first arrived at the School of American Ballet dormitories in 2001 and joined NYCB two years later. Since then he has quietly become a distinguished interpreter of George Balanchine’s repertory, while also collaborating with contemporary choreographers and serving as artistic director of the New York Choreographic Institute.
For his farewell, Danchig‑Waring curated a matinee that paired Balanchine classics with 21st‑century pieces that reflect his love of process, and then he turned the evening into a tropical rave at Performance Space in the East Village. The party featured a colorful cast: comedian‑poet Alok Vaid‑Menon in disco brights, playwright Jeremy O. Harris in buttercream‑colored suit, and filmmaker‑producer Drew Denny with Carmen Miranda‑style fruit appliqués.
“Dancing for me has never been about the solo – it’s about the collective experience of bringing these works to life,” Danchig‑Waring said before the performance, referring to the four pieces he selected. The program opened and closed with two of Balanchine’s black‑and‑white ballets, The Four Temperaments (1946) and Agon (1957). He performed the Phlegmatic variation in The Four Temperaments and a crystalline pas de deux with Unity Phelan in Agon, earning enthusiastic applause. He highlighted the debut of soloists Dominika Afanasenkov and David Gabriel in Agon, saying, “As I’m stepping off that stage, I want to witness people who are just arriving. I want to roll out the red carpet for them.”
The middle two works showcased Danchig‑Waring’s role as a present‑day collaborator. The first was Lar Lubovitch’s duet Each in Their Own Time, originally created for him and Joseph Gordon in 2021 and later added to the NYCB repertory with principal Taylor Stanley joining him. The two men returned in white shirts and pants, exchanging fluid solos before uniting in looping arm gestures.
The second piece, Once With You, was a new quartet by Pam Tanowitz for Danchig‑Waring, Unity Phelan, Mira Nadon, and Indiana Woodward. Tanowitz explained that he wanted to dance with friends rather than perform a solo, adding that her choreography “talks with Balanchine and Merce Cunningham.” Costumes by the long‑time Tanowitz collaborators Reid & Harriet featured maroon unitards with subtle puffed sleeves for the women, while Danchig‑Waring wore a tank unitard printed with two profile faces hugging his waist. “It’s me and Pam – isn’t that cute?” he joked, noting the electric‑blue silhouettes that echoed the knit back warmer he uses in rehearsal, a reminder of the spinal injury he suffered in late 2024 before returning to the stage last fall.
The farewell was meticulously planned, down to the black‑and‑white confetti and the lute prop from Balanchine’s Apollo, which his husband, art adviser Thomas Rom, placed onstage as a parting salute. The after‑party, however, was designed for pure joy. “I can find ecstasy in this type of dance on the stage, but the true ecstatic is in the club,” Danchig‑Waring said, describing the kaleidoscopic rave that welcomed guests ranging from nine‑year‑old nephews to senior patrons.
On the fourth floor of Performance Space, where Rom serves as board chair, an abstract video projection of Danchig‑Waring in motion greeted guests. A light installation by Studio GUMGUM glowed down a hallway like radioactive flora. DJ Illich Mujica, surrounded by tropical fronds, spun warm ambient mixes while attendees sipped Heavensake cocktails and the signature Disco Eclipse, a mezcal drink glittered with edible black specks. Spanish‑style fans printed with photos of Danchig‑Waring and lime‑green earplugs labeled “Full Volume” adorned a side table. Later, a remixed “Jolene” played as boxes of pizza stamped “Final Bow Full Belly” were delivered, ending the night with music, food, and celebration.
Photo: Marc Patrick