Sept. 11 Will Never Be Forgotten for This Dance Troupe

The New York City Ballet was in Parma, Italy, when the news arrived on Sept. 11, 2001, that the Twin Towers had been attacked. Heartbroken and almost 4,000 miles away from home, ballet master-in-chief Peter Martins announced to the audience that the company would not dance that night. He promised they would return the next day—and they did. “We were so moved by this story,” recalls Peter Hempel, CEO of DDB New York. “We wanted a way to capture the spirit of what New York City Ballet believes in, which is new beginnings.”