Molly Smolen is an American ballet dancer.

Life and career

Molly Smolen was born in Philadelphia, and trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet under John White and Margarita de Saa. At 14, she joined American Ballet Theatre and, from 1997 to 1999, she performed as a guest artist with the Estonian National Ballet. Molly joined

Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the five major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside The Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet. Founded as the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, the company ...

as a Soloist in 1999 and was promoted to Principal in 2002. Her performance of '' Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan'' brought her critical acclaim in many countries. She has shone in roles as diverse as the Siren in ''Prodigal Son'' and Maggie in ''Hobson's Choice''. She is also a sparkling classical dancer, dancing most of the leading classical roles with the Estonian Ballet before she was 21. Molly joined San Francisco Ballet as a Principal in 2006-2008. Repertory: with Estonian National Ballet: principal roles in Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake; Repertory with BRB: works by

Frederick Ashton Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 190418 August 1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue. Determined to be a dancer despite the oppositi ...

( Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, The Two Pigeons Gypsy Girl, La Fille mal gardée Lise, Scènes de ballet, Dante Sonata and Voices of Spring);

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

(Concerto barocco - Leading Ballerina, Second Ballerina, Prodigal Son Siren, Western Symphony First Movement, Apollo Calliope);

David Bintley Sir David Julian Bintley (born 17 September 1957) is an English former ballet dancer, the artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and co-artistic director of the New National Theatre Tokyo ballet company. Early life Bintley was born i ...

(Arthur Morgan, Beauty and the Beast Belle, Carmina burana Fortuna, Sylvia Pas de deux, Scottish Dances, The Nutcracker Sweeties Sugar Rum Cherry, The Shakespeare Suite Juliet, The Seasons 'Autumn', Hobson's Choice Maggie Hobson, The Sons of Horus Isis, Concert Fantasy, Les Petit Riens, Orpheus Suite - Eurydice); John Cranko (Broulliards); Kenneth MacMillan (

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

Juliet, Elite Syncopations - White Girl); Vaslav Nijinski (

Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...

- The Chosen Maiden), and Myrtha,

Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...

(Giselle), Sugar Plum Fairy ( The Nutcracker), Swanhilda ( Coppelia), Odette /Odile (

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

), Aurora ( The Sleeping Beauty), Stanton Welch (Powder) and Twyla Tharp

In the Upper Room Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. Fr ...

; Repertory with SFB: works by Helgi Tomasson Clara (The Nutcracker), Kitri (Don Quixote), The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, On Common Ground ; Val Caniparoli Nora (Ibsen's house);

Third Movement (Symphony in C) Molly Smolen retired in 2008.

Awards

She won bronze medal and the Prix de Nina Ricci, for artistic excellence at the

Varna International Ballet Competition The Varna International Ballet Competition is a biennial ballet competition held in Varna, Bulgaria. The competition was founded in 1964 and subsequently held in 1965 and 1966, and then every two years starting in 1968. Many dancers have gained the ...

; bronze medal at the Osaka International Ballet Competition, 1995; Critics' Circle nomination for Newcomer of the Year (2000).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smolen, Molly American ballerinas Living people American Ballet Theatre dancers Artists from Philadelphia Year of birth missing (living people) Dancers from Pennsylvania 20th-century American dancers 21st-century American dancers 21st-century American women