Edward McIlhenny introduced numerous varieties of azaleas, Japanese camellias, Egyptian papyrus sedge and other rare plants to the Island's natural landscape.
The NNBT has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Asami Maki's Raymonda in February 2008), and will also perform Asami Maki's version of La dame aux camellias, as a guest company at the Bolshoi Theatre in September 2009.