At the Ballet

For fans of ballet, art, culture, or just dressing up and feeling fancy, there is nothing like a night spent at Lincoln Center. And while tickets for certain seats in the David H. Koch Theater or the Metropolitan Opera can get pretty pricey, there is a very budget-friendly way to see a performance.

Enter Student Rush. 

 Let's start with New York City Ballet. NYCB spends four seasons at Lincoln Center. For the fall, winter, and spring seasons, Student Rush tickets are available. On the Monday of each performance week, the website will list which shows will have student rush availability (not every show does). Students can then purchase tickets from the Box Office on the day of the show, with their valid student ID. The earlier in the day you can purchase the tickets the better, as they are often sold-out right before the show. The tickets are $20, with a limit of two tickets per student. The fourth season is dedicated to George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, and Student Rush is not available for these performances (regular tickets start at $29).

American Ballet Theatre performs at Lincoln Center usually around the end of May through the beginning of July (the rest of their seasons are spent in other locations). Students can purchase tickets at the Box Office on the performance day for $25 in the Orchestra, or $15 in Family Circle. Again it is best to go early in the day as tickets do sell out, especially since their season at Lincoln Center is not long. Their website does specify that students must be under the age of 26 to receive Student Rush tickets. I'm not sure how strict they are with this requirement; I think it would be worth a try, but know that they may ask to see your state ID as well as your student ID. 

If your eyesight is less than stellar, you might want to consider bringing binoculars, or opera glasses. Some of the rush tickets are pretty far back in the theatre (I've received tickets to the very last row on more than one occasion), which is great for seeing patterns but not so great for recognizing individuals. The viewing pleasure will be just as enjoyable without them, but binoculars are a tool to consider if you'd like to see faces. 

If you are not a student but still looking to see the ballet on a budget, then I recommend buying the student in your life a big cup of coffee, listening to them complain about the horrors of final exams, and then convincing them that a night at the ballet is all they need to relieve their stresses. It works, I swear.