New York City Ballet

Photographs of New York City Ballet dancer Merrill Ashley.

Violette Verdy of the New York City Ballet performs in ''Bagatelles.''

Choreographer George Balanchine work in a dance studio with Igor Stravinsky and dancers during the production of ''Agon'' in 1957.

Choreographer George Balanchine teaches a ballet class at the School of American Ballet in the early 1960s. Also distinguishable are Patricia Wilde, Maria Tallcheif, Kay Mazzo, Suzanne Farrell, Melissa Hayden and Jacques d'Amboise.

Choreographer George Balanchine works with two children on ''Don Quixote'' and Karin von Aroldingen and Jean-Piere Bonnefous perform in his ''Violin Concerto.''

3 photos on one sheet: (upper) Vera Zorina performs with unidentified dancers, all of the New York City Ballet, in George Balanchine's ''Persephone''; (lower left) Mel Tomlinson and Heather Watts of the New York City Ballet perform in George Balanchine's ''Agon''; (lower right) Suzanne Farrell of the New York City Ballet performs in George Balanchine's solo dance ''Variations''.

Photographs of legendary dancer and choreographer George Balanchine (Georgi Melitinovich Balanchivadze) both dancing and working with other dancers on ballets he choreographed.

George Balanchine and Suzanne Farrell perform in ''Don Quixote'' in a promotional for Robert Tracy's book ''Balanchine's Ballerinas: Conversations With the Muses.''

Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins of the New York City Ballet perform together in ''Ballerinas: Dances by Peter Martins,'' which was aired on PBS television as part of the Great Performances Dance in America series.

Merrill Ashley, of the New York City Ballet, performs a graceful leap in George Balanchine's ballet ''Ballo della Regina.''