Unity Phelan
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Unity Sickles Phelan (born February 1995) is an American ballet dancer. She joined the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
in 2013 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2021. Outside of the company, she had also danced in films '' John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum'' and ''
I'm Thinking of Ending Things ''I'm Thinking of Ending Things'' (stylized as i'm thinking ''of'' ending things) is a 2020 American surrealist psychological thriller film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. It is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Iai ...
''.


Early life and training

Phelan was born in
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
. Her father founded a health service company, where he was also the chief executive, and her mother is an accountant. Phelan explained that her parents liked the idea of "unity", hence her unusual first name. Phelan started ballet at age four at Princeton Ballet School, following her older sister. At thirteen, she attended the summer program at the School of American Ballet in New York, and was invited to join the year-round program. Her parents thought she was too young, but allowed her to train there full-time the following year. She trained at the school for three years. During this time, she also completed high school at the Professional Children's School, and graduated in 2012.


Career

Phelan became an apprentice with the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
in 2012, and joined the corps de ballet the following year. Roles she danced whilst in the corps de ballet include in Balanchine's "Stairway to Paradise" in '' Who Cares?'', ''
Episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek ...
'', first pas de trois in '' Agon'' and a demi-soloist in '' Symphony in Three Movements''. In 2015, she made her debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine's ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...
''. In 2016, she was chosen by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to create a lead role in ''American Rhapsody'', and by
Lauren Lovette Lauren Lovette (born November 10, 1991) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer who was previously a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life and education Lovette was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and started her ...
in ''For Clara''. Later that year, she debuted as Dewdrop in ''The Nutcracker''. The following year, she originated a role in Pontus Lidberg's ''The Shimmering Asphalt''. Phelan was promoted to soloist in 2017. Since then, she has danced featured roles, including in "Emerald" from ''
Jewels A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
'', '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'', '' Liebeslieder Walzer'', ''
Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...
'', '' Divertimento No. 15''; Robbins' ''
Dances at a Gathering ''Dances at a Gathering'' is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to music by Frédéric Chopin, with costumes designed by Joe Eula. The ballet premiered on May 22, 1969, at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet ...
'', ''
In G Major ''In G Major'' is a ballet made for New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival by ballet master Jerome Robbins to the composer's Piano Concerto in G Major (1928–31). The premiere took place May 15, 1975 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Cente ...
'' and ''
Antique Epigraphs ''Antique Epigraphs'' is a ballet made on New York City Ballet by ballet master Jerome Robbins to an orchestrated version of Debussy's '' Six épigraphes antiques'', L131, for piano, four hands, from 1914: *“Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d' ...
''; Wheeldon's ''
Polyphonia ''Polyphonia'' is a one-act ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon to music by György Ligeti, costumes designed by Holly Hynes, and was created for the New York City Ballet. It premiered on January 4, 2001 at the New York State Theater. ...
'' and '' DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse''; and Forsythe's ''Herman Schmermen''. She has also created roles in Peck's ''Easy'', Lovette's ''The Shaded Line'' and Ratmansky's ''Voices''. In 2017, she performed a pas de deux in Balanchine's ''Agon'' with then- American Ballet Theatre soloist Calvin Royal III, with Arthur Mitchell, who originated Royal's role, in the audience. Following the performance, Mitchell commented the ballet was "in good hands." The following year, after Mitchell's death, Royal and Phelan reprised the ''Agon'' pas de deux at his memorial. The same year, following the collaboration between New York City Ballet and Puma, she took part in the latter's promotional tour in Asia. Phelan appeared in the 2019 film, '' John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum'', as a ballerina who is also training to be an assassin, with the dance sequences choreographed by
Tiler Peck Tiler Kalyn Peck (born January 12, 1989) is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As well as ballet, she has performed in musical theatre shows and has made cameo appearances in films including ''Donn ...
. She then appeared in a
dream ballet A dream ballet, in musical theater, is an all- dance, no-singing production number that reflects the themes of the production. The plot, themes, and characters are typically the same—although the people playing the characters may be different, ...
sequence in the 2020 film, ''
I'm Thinking of Ending Things ''I'm Thinking of Ending Things'' (stylized as i'm thinking ''of'' ending things) is a 2020 American surrealist psychological thriller film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. It is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Iai ...
'', choreographed by Peter Walker. In 2020, she was featured in a campaign for
Gabriela Hearst Gabriela Hearst (née Perezutti) born in Paysandú Department, Uruguay, (November 3, 1976) is a women's luxury ready-to-wear and accessories designer. In addition to designing her namesake collection, she runs and operates her family's ranch in Ur ...
. Later that year, she danced in Andrea Miller's short film, ''New Song'', which was made for the New York City Ballet. In 2021, Phelan was promoted to principal dancer. Her promotion came soon after the company return to performing after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as multiple principal dancers' retirements. Ballets she performed since her promotion include Balanchine's ''Agon'', ''
Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux ''Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to a composition by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky originally intended for act 3 of '' Swan Lake'' (Op. 20, 1875–76). With costumes by Barbara Karinska and lighting by Jack ...
'', ''
Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...
'' (as Terpsichore), '' Symphony in C'', '' Stravinsky Violin Concerto'', ''
Vienna Waltzes ''Vienna Waltzes'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár and Richard Strauss, made as a tribute to Austria. It premiered on June 23, 1977 at the New York State Theater, performed by the N ...
'', ''
La Sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...
'' (as the Sleepwalker), '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (as Titania), '' Swan Lake'', and Robbins' '' Piano Pieces''. In 2022, she originated a role in Roberts' ''Emanon — in Two Movements''.


Personal life

While dancing full-time, Phelan also studied at Fordham University. She graduated in 2020, with a bachelor's degree in economics and organizational leadership. In 2022, Phelan married Cameron Dieck, a former New York City Ballet dancer.


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Phelan, Unity 1995 births Living people People from Princeton, New Jersey American ballerinas New York City Ballet principal dancers School of American Ballet alumni Fordham University alumni Dancers from New Jersey 21st-century American ballet dancers 21st-century American women