If I am choosing between NYCB and ABT then ABT is my #1. I do appreciate NYCB and their brand of ballet. I do have some fab dancers from there, such as former Principal dancer, Kathryn Morgan. But, NYCB tends to be a little too sharp for my taste sometimes. I am also not Balanchine's biggest fan by a long shot, for many reasons. On that note, I'm so tired of nearly every local version of the Nutcracker being the Balanchine version.