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It’s provocative to aspire to slip into the mind of one of ballet’s great masters, but Lincoln Jones sees it as a progression in his long devotion to George Balanchine’s art.

We’ve now had a century of modern dance, led by the likes of Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine and many others whose modernism delved into the very essence of the body’s ability to express the ineffable.

During his tenure Shklyarov had impressed with contemporary and classical ballets alike, ranging from “The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote” to George Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” and “Jewels.”

DePrince seemingly knew no bounds on stage as she executed pieces — from ballet classics including “Don Quixote,” “Swan Lake” and “Coppélia” to George Balanchine‘s “Who Cares” and “Jewels” — with undeniable grace, strength and precision.

It is provocative to aspire to slip into the mind of one of ballet’s great masters, but Jones, director of American Contemporary Ballet, sees it as a progression in his long devotion to Balanchine’s art.