NEW YORK CITY BALLET

At New York State Theater, Lincoln Center. (212) 870-5570. Season runs through Feb. 24.

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NEW York City Ballet this season has seen no less than three Peter Martins premieres, including the already reviewed “Quartet for Strings” seen in the repertory season’s first week.

Now these have been joined by “Hallelujah Junction,” first given for the traditional celebratory performance marking the anniversary of George Balanchine’s birth last week, and “Viva Verdi.”

“Hallelujah Junction” had actually had its world premiere with the Royal Danish Ballet last March, but it was new to us, and set to music for two pianos by John Adams, it proved a tautly constructed juggernaut of off-handed yet relentless virtuosity.

At the first two performances the cast included guest artists from the original cast, Gitte Lindstrom and the New Zealand-born Andrew Bowman, both young stars from the Royal Danish Ballet. The third principal was City Ballet’s own Benjamin Millepied.

All three, not to mention the dazzling four couples making up the ensemble, gave their all in an exhilarating bout of choreographic derring-do.

The third and last Martins premiere was “Viva Verdi.” This, set to strange orchestral Variations on “La Traviata” by Marc Olivier-Dupin, seemed very much Martins lite – a craftsmanlike occasional piece that had perhaps passed its occasion but was certainly worth a few showings to the company’s New York audience.

It was brightly danced by a sweepingly sophisticated Maria Kowroski – pinch-hitting for the indisposed Darci Kistler – handsomely partnered by Charles Askegard, and featured three upcoming and upbouncing youngsters, Ashley Bouder, Lindy Mandradjeff and Abi Stafford.