Critics have been ripping into the Paul McCartney/Peter Martins' ballet, Ocean's Kingdom, at New York City Ballet, like bears after their first post-hibernation meal. Is it that bad?

In this edition of SundayArts: a profile of New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Sara Mearns, a look at Paul McCartney's Lincoln Center collaboration, and the latest SundayArts News.

This week at Lincoln Center, Sir Paul McCartney collaborates with New York City Ballet Master-in-Chief Peter Martins on “Ocean’s Kingdom.”

If you think music—particularly pop and rock, but classical as well to a lesser extent—is just about sound and image doesn’t come into play, I have news for you. Everything involves image, and when performers try to look as plain as possible, well, that’s image too. I’m always amused by purists who claim that for [...]