Edward Villella
Edward Villella (born October 1, 1936 in Bayside , New York City ) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer .
Life
Edward Villella began his dance education at the age of 10 at the School of American Ballet . However, he suspended his studies to do a PhD in marine science at the New York Maritime Academy.
In 1957 Villella became a member of the New York City Ballet and rose to become a soloist in 1957. In 1960 he was appointed Principal Dancer . His most notable roles were Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream , The Prodigal Son in Prodigal Son , and the solo roles in Tarantella and Jewels .
Villella was the first male American dancer to perform with the Royal Danish Ballet and the only American dancer ever to be invited to an encore at Moscow's Bolshoi Theater . He danced at the inauguration ceremony for President John F. Kennedy and for a number of other US presidents. In 1975 he won an Emmy for the television production of the ballet Harlequinade . He had other television appearances in The Nutcracker , in the ballet film A Midsummer Night's Dream and 1966 in Brigadoon (as Harry Beaton). He also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and guest roles in the soap operas Männerwirtschaft and Springfield Story .
After retiring as an active dancer, Villella was artistic director of the Eglevsky Ballet from 1979 to 1984 and director of the Oklahoma Ballet from 1983 to 1985 . In 1986 he founded the Miami City Ballet , of which he is artistic director and chief executive officer to this day. The Florida Atlantic University gave him a residence scholarship.
Villella is married to former figure skater Linda and lives with her in Miami Beach. Linda Villella is the founder and director of the Miami City Ballet School . Together they have a son, Roddy, and two daughters, Lauren and Crista-Francesca. Crista Villella is associate ballet master for the Miami City Ballet .
In 1997 Villella was awarded the Kennedy Prize and the National Medal of Arts . In 2009 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .
literature
- Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic , Edward Villella, Larry Kaplan, ISBN 978-0-671-72370-5
Web links
- Edward Villella in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Homepage of the Miami City Ballet
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Villella, Edward |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American ballet dancer and choreographer |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1936 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Bayside , Long Island, New York City, New York, United States |