Ballet Master
Encyclopedia
Ballet company
A ballet company is a group of dancers who perform ballet, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year are the norm...
who is responsible for the level of competence of the dancers in their company. In modern times, ballet masters (or ballet mistress for a female) are generally charged with teaching the daily company ballet class and rehearsing the dancers for both new and established ballets in the company's repertoire. The artistic director of a ballet company may also be called its ballet master.
History of the position
Especially during the early centuries of ballet troupes and ballet companies from the 18th century until the early 20th century, the position of First Ballet master, referred to traditionally as the Premier Maître de ballet en Chef or more simply as the Maître de ballet, was the undisputed head of the company who acted as chief choreographer and Artistic DirectorArtistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
. His duties included creating ballets, dances in operas, commissioning music, and presiding over the teaching of the dancers and style desired. It was this head ballet master who had the responsibility of the artistic directorship of a particular group of dancers or of a theatre.
After the early 20th century, primarily after the disbandment of the original Ballet Russe, the title has been used more to describe the master teachers/assistant directors of a ballet company, (previously known as Second Ballet master), with the head of a company being referred to as the Artistic Director.
Famous Ballet Masters
- Pierre BeauchampPierre BeauchampPierre Beauchamp was a French choreographer, dancer and composer, and the probable inventor of Beauchamp-Feuillet notation.-Biography:...
(1631-1705), First ballet master of the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from 1673-1687, he invented the comédie-balletComédie-balletComédie-ballet is a genre of French drama which mixes a spoken play with interludes containing music and dance.-History:The first example of the genre is considered to be Les fâcheux, with words by Molière, performed in honour of Louis XIV at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the residence of Nicolas Fouquet, in...
with MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
and Jean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
, codified the five positions of the feet and created a system of dance notation. - Jean-Baptiste LandéJean-Baptiste LandéJean-Baptiste Landé was a French ballet dancer, active in Sweden, Denmark and Russia. He is the founder of the Russian Ballet Mariinsky Ballet....
(died 1748), Ballet master in Russia from 1733-1747, he is known as the parent of the Russian Mariinsky BalletMariinsky BalletThe Mariinsky Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's leading ballet companies...
. - Jean-Georges NoverreJean-Georges NoverreJean-Georges Noverre was a French dancer and balletmaster, and is generally considered the creator of ballet d'action, a precursor of the narrative ballets of the 19th century...
(1727–1810), Ballet master of the Stuttgart BalletStuttgart BalletStuttgart Ballet was the first major German ballet company. It rose to fame in the 1960s under Artistic Director John Cranko. The company, which is renowned for presentations of full-length narrative ballets including Romeo and Juliet, Eugene Onegin, The Taming of the Shrew, John Neumeier's Die...
from 1760-1767, of the Wiener HofoperVienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from 1768-1775 and of the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique from 1776-1781. Between 1758 and 1760 he published his Lettres sur la danse et les ballets. He is generally considered the creator of ballet d'actionBallet d'actionBallet d'action is a ballet movement started by French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre in 1760. It involves expression of character and emotion through dancers' bodies and faces, rather than through elaborate costumes and props...
, a precursor of the narrative balletNarrative balletA narrative ballet or story ballet is a form of ballet that has a plot and characters. It is typically a production with full sets and costumes.Most Romantic ballets and Classical ballets of the 19th century were narrative ballets...
of the 19th century. - Louis GallodierLouis GallodierLouis Gallodier was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent the majority of his career in Sweden, were he was to have a great importance for the development of the ballet in Sweden as the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet.- Biography and career:Louis Gallodier was born in France...
(1734–1803), Ballet master in Sweden from 1773-1803, he is known as the parent of the Royal Swedish BalletRoyal Swedish BalletThe Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
. - Jean DaubervalJean DaubervalJean Dauberval, a.k.a Jean D’Auberval, , was a French dancer and ballet master...
(1742–1806), Ballet master of the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique from 1781-1783, he is known today as the Father of the Comedic ballet - Pierre-Gabriel GardelPierre GardelPierre-Gabriel Gardel was a French ballet dancer and ballet master. He was the brother of Maximilien Gardel....
(1758–1840) Ballet master of the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique from 1787-1820. After NoverreJean-Georges NoverreJean-Georges Noverre was a French dancer and balletmaster, and is generally considered the creator of ballet d'action, a precursor of the narrative ballets of the 19th century...
he defended the ballet d'actionBallet d'actionBallet d'action is a ballet movement started by French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre in 1760. It involves expression of character and emotion through dancers' bodies and faces, rather than through elaborate costumes and props...
in the early 19th century. - Salvatore ViganòSalvatore ViganòSalvatore Viganò , was an Italian choreographer, dancer and composer.He was born in Naples. He studied composition with Luigi Boccherini and by the mid-1780s was composing original music. In 1788 he appeared as a dancer on the stage in Venice. He performed in the coronation festivities of...
(1769–1821), Ballet master of the Wiener HofoperVienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
from 1799-1803. Ballet master of La Scala Theatre Ballet in MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
from 1811-1821. He is considered the father of a new kind of performance called coreodramma. - Filippo TaglioniFilippo TaglioniFilippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
(1777–1871), Ballet master of the Royal Swedish BalletRoyal Swedish BalletThe Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
from 1803-1804 and 1817-1818. Born and trained as a dancer in his native ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, he is known today as the Father of RomanticRomanticismRomanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
Ballet. Also a great choreographer and teacher, he was instrumental in the training of his daughter, Marie TaglioniMarie TaglioniMarie Taglioni was a famous Italian/Swedish ballerina of the Romantic ballet era, a central figure in the history of European dance.-Biography:...
. - Jean CoralliJean CoralliJean Coralli , born Jean Coralli Peracini, was a French dancer and choreographer and later held the esteemed post of First Balletmaster of the Paris Opera Ballet...
(1779–1854), Ballet master of the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique from 1831-1850 who was born Jean Coralli Perecini in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
of BologneseBologneseBolognese is someone or something from the city of Bologna. It can refer to:*Bolognese sauce*Bolognese *Bolognese dialect, a language that is often considered a dialect of Italian for political reasons but is historically quite different from standard Italian.*Bolognese School *Bolognese...
parents. - Carlo BlasisCarlo BlasisCarlo Blasis was an Italian dancer, choreographer and dance theoretician. He is well known for his very rigorous dance classes, sometimes lasting four hours long.Blasis was born in Naples...
(1797–1878), Ballet master of La Scala Theatre Ballet School in MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
from 1838-1853, he was the first who published a complete analysis on the ballet techniques in 1820, in a work named Traité élémentaire, théorique, et pratique de l'art de la danse ("Elementary Treaty on the Art of the Dance, theory and practice"). - Joseph MazilierJoseph MazilierJoseph Mazilier was a 19th-century French dancer, balletmaster and choreographer. He was most noted for his ballets Paquita and Le Corsaire...
born Giulio Mazarini (1801–1868), Ballet master of the Paris Opera BalletParis Opera BalletThe Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
from 1853-1859. Ballet master of the Théatre Royal de la MonnaieLa MonnaieLe Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from 1866-1867. His creations witnessed the switch of the european center of dance from ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
with the end of the Second EmpireSecond French EmpireThe Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
. - August BournonvilleAugust BournonvilleAugust Bournonville was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. August was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nephew of Julie Alix de la Fay, née Bournonville, of the Royal Swedish Ballet.August was...
(1805–1879), Ballet master of the Royal Danish BalletRoyal Danish BalletThe Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
from 1828 to 1879 and the most prolific choreographer DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
has ever known. - Paul Taglioni (1808–1883), Deuxieme Maître de Ballet of the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre from 1847–1848, Maître de Ballet en Chef from 1849-1851. Maître de Ballet en Chef of the Court Opera Ballet in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1852-1866. - Jules PerrotJules PerrotJules-Joseph Perrot was a dancer and choreographer who later became Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia...
(1810–1892), Maître de Ballet en Chef (First Ballet master) of the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre from 1843-1848. Maître de Ballet en Chef to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres from 1849 to 1859. - Christian JohanssonChristian JohanssonChristian Johansson was a teacher, choreographer and coaching balletmaster for the Russian Imperial Ballet. Born Pehr Christian Johansson in Stockholm, Sweden, he moved to Russia as a dancer and stayed on as one of the most important teachers in Russian history...
(1817–1903), Coaching ballet master/master teacher for the Russian Imperial Ballet 1880 to 1900, particularly of the male students. - Marius PetipaMarius PetipaVictor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
(1818–1910), Maître de Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres from 1871 to 1903, Deuxieme Maître de Ballet from 1862-1871. The Father of Classical Ballet. - Arthur Saint-LéonArthur Saint-LeonArthur Saint-Léon was the Maître de Ballet of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet Coppélia.-Biography:...
born Arthur Michel (1821–1870), a Frenchman who was ballet master of the Paris Opera BalletParis Opera BalletThe Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
from 1850-1853, then Maître de Ballet en Chef of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres from 1859 until 1869. - Lev IvanovLev IvanovLev Ivanovich Ivanov was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet....
(1834–1901), Deuxieme Maître de Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres from 1885 to 1901. - Enrico CecchettiEnrico CecchettiEnrico Cecchetti was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the costuming room of the Teatro Tordinona in Rome. After an illustrious career as a dancer in Europe, he went to dance for the Imperial Ballet in...
(1850–1928), Ballet master for the celebrated Ballets RussesBallets RussesThe Ballets Russes was an itinerant ballet company from Russia which performed between 1909 and 1929 in many countries. Directed by Sergei Diaghilev, it is regarded as the greatest ballet company of the 20th century. Many of its dancers originated from the Imperial Ballet of Saint Petersburg...
1910. - Nicolai Legat (1869–1937), Ballet master in Russia,
- Agrippina VaganovaAgrippina VaganovaAgrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova was an outstanding Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method - the technique which derived from the teaching methods of the old Imperial Ballet School under the Premier Maître de Ballet Marius Petipa throughout the mid to late 19th century, though...
(1879–1951), Ballet master of the Kirov BalletMariinsky BalletThe Mariinsky Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's leading ballet companies...
from 1931-1937 was an outstanding pedagogue who developed the Vaganova methodVaganova methodThe Vaganova method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova . Fusing elements of traditional French technique from the romantic era, with the athleticism and virtuosity of the Italian school, the method is designed to work the body...
. - Michel FokineMichel FokineMichel Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer.-Biography:...
(1880–1942), Ballet master of the Mariinsky BalletMariinsky BalletThe Mariinsky Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's leading ballet companies...
from 1904-1909. Choreographer of the Ballets RussesBallets RussesThe Ballets Russes was an itinerant ballet company from Russia which performed between 1909 and 1929 in many countries. Directed by Sergei Diaghilev, it is regarded as the greatest ballet company of the 20th century. Many of its dancers originated from the Imperial Ballet of Saint Petersburg...
in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from 1909-1923. Ballet master of the Royal Danish BalletRoyal Danish BalletThe Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
in 1925. - George BalanchineGeorge BalanchineGeorge Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
(1904–1983), Ballet master of the Royal Danish BalletRoyal Danish BalletThe Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
from 1930-1931. Ballet master and Director of the New York City BalletNew York City BalletNew York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
, in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from 1949 to 1982. - Frederick AshtonFrederick AshtonSir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
(1904–1988), Ballet master, Choreographer, and Director of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Royal Ballet from 1963 to 1970. - Serge LifarSerge LifarSerge Lifar ; 15 December 1986) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer of Ukrainian origin, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century.-Biography:Lifar was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
(1905–1986), Ballet master of the Paris Opera BalletParis Opera BalletThe Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
from 1930-1944 and 1947-1958. One of the precursors of the neoclassicalNeoclassical balletNeoclassical balletis the style of 20th century classical ballet exemplified by the works of George Balanchine. It draws on the advanced technique of 19th century Russian Imperial dance, but strips it of its detailed narrative and heavy theatrical setting...
style. - Alexander Ivanovich Pushkin (1907–1970), Ballet master, among his students Mikhail BaryshnikovMikhail BaryshnikovMikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
, Rudolf NureyevRudolf NureyevRudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
and Farouk RuzimatovFarouk RuzimatovFarukh Ruzimatov is a ballet dancer, the Artistic Director for ballet in Mikhaylovsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg. He was formerly the Principal Dancer and Assistant Artistic Director of the Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg....
. - María de Ávila (born 1920), Ballet master, was the creator of the Ballet de Zaragoza.
- Roland PetitRoland PetitRoland Petit was a French choreographer and dancer born in Villemomble, near Paris, France. He trained at the Paris Opéra Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets.-Biography:...
(born 1924), Ballet master of the Ballet national de Marseille from 1972 to 1998. - Maurice BéjartMaurice BéjartMaurice Béjart was a French born, Swiss choreographer who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger.- Biography :...
(1927–2007), Ballet master of the Théatre Royal de la MonnaieLa MonnaieLe Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
from 1959-1987 where he founded the Ballet du XXe Siècle. Then he ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
from 1987-2007. - Kenneth MacMillanKenneth MacMillanSir Kenneth MacMillan was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977.-Early years:...
(1929–1992), Ballet master of the Deutsche Oper BerlinDeutsche Oper BerlinThe Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
from 1966-69. Ballet master, Choreographer, and Director of England's Royal Ballet from 1970-1977. - Vera ShvetsovaVera ShvetsovaVera Shvetsova is a Ballet teacher and balletmaster Russian, Vera Shvetsova was trained by the famous teatcher Vaganova and was one of Vaganova’s best students....
(born 1929), Ballet master in State School of Ballet and Choreography of Minsk (Belarus) - Rudolph Nureyev (1938–1993), Ballet master and Director of the Paris Opera BalletParis Opera BalletThe Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
from 1983 to 1992. Before that, he enjoyed an illustrious career as a dancer in both the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and in the west. - Anthony DowellAnthony DowellSir Anthony James Dowell, CBE is a retired English ballet dancer and former Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet. He studied at the Hampshire School and The Royal Ballet Schools, before joining the Royal Ballet in 1961...
(born 1943), Ballet master and Director of England's Royal Ballet from 1986 to 2001. - John NeumeierJohn NeumeierJohn Neumeier is a well-known American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. He has been the director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet since 1973. 5 years later he founded the Hamburg Ballet School, which also includes a boarding school...
(born 1947), Ballet master of the Hamburg Opera Ballet from 1973.