Jewels at David H. Koch Theater — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect

This run has ended. See the current week’s guide.

New York City Ballet starts its 2026-27 season the way many fans hope it will: with George Balanchine’s Jewels, danced in full. If you are in New York during the last full week of September, this is the one evening at Lincoln Center that works for a first-time visitor and a longtime fan alike.

About the Ballet

Jewels premiered on April 13, 1967, at what was then the New York State Theater, the same building the company calls home today. It is often described as the first full-evening ballet without a plot. Instead of a story, Balanchine gives you three contrasting acts, each tied to a gemstone and each set to a different composer.

• Emeralds uses music by Gabriel Fauré, drawn from Pelléas et Mélisande and Shylock. It is soft-edged and romantic, with a French feel.
• Rubies is set to Igor Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. It is quick, jazzy and a little cheeky.
• Diamonds closes the night with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3. It is the grandest of the three, with a large ensemble and a clear tribute to the classical tradition Balanchine came from.

NYCB’s own notes say Balanchine took the idea further after a visit to the jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels. The costumes are by Karinska.

What Makes This Run Special

This is the opening program of NYCB’s 26-27 season, so the house tends to have a first-week-back energy. It is also the complete work, not an excerpt: you see all three acts in a single evening. The company brings Jewels back again in February 2027, but if your trip is in September, this week is your chance.

Who Should Go

• First-timers: a strong pick. There is no plot to follow, the three sections are easy to tell apart, and the running time is manageable. If you want a quick primer before you go, see Ballet for Beginners: 10 Works to Start With.
• Ballet fans: Jewels is a signature work for this company, and the three acts show off different sides of its dancers.
• Families: the Saturday 2 pm and Sunday 3 pm performances are the easiest fit for younger viewers.

Seats and Booking Tips

• Jewels has large group patterns, especially in Diamonds. Seats a little higher up, such as the front of the rings, let you see the shapes the corps makes on stage. Our guide on how to choose seats at a ballet performance explains the trade-offs.
• Ages 13 to 30: NYCB’s $30 for 30 program sells week-of rush tickets. NYCB says the first 26-27 season tickets under this program become available on September 22, 2026, that you need to register with photo ID, and that there is a limit of two tickets per performance. Seat locations are assigned by the box office.
• More ways to save are in How to Get Cheap Ballet Tickets in the US.

Getting to the David H. Koch Theater

The theater sits on the Lincoln Center campus on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. NYCB’s visitor page lists these options:

• Subway: the 1 local train to 66th St–Lincoln Center
• Bus: the M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 and M104 all stop within a block of Lincoln Center
• Driving: Lincoln Center’s garages use license-plate entry; see NYCB’s Getting Here page for details

The Box Office is in the theater lobby if you need to pick up tickets.

Not sure what to wear or when to clap? Ballet Etiquette: What to Wear and When to Clap covers both.

Back to This Week

See every ballet performance in New York, Chicago, and Seattle this week in Ballet This Week: September Week 3, 2026.

---

Schedules and prices can change. Please confirm on the official site before booking. Spotted an error? Let me know.

---

Read next

• Serenade at McCaw Hall — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect
• Ballet This Week: September Week 3, 2026 — New York, Chicago, Seattle
• Liliom at Lyric Opera House — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect