Wendy Whelan (; born May 7, 1967) is an American ballet dancer. She was principal dancer 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' ...
and performed with the company for 30 years, and toured in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Whelan has also been an influential guest artist with
Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company
Morphoses is a ballet company, co-founded in 2007 by Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez. Morphoses is a guest resident company at the New York City Center and at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. It was known as Morphoses/The Wheeldon Compa ...
. In 2019, Whelan was named Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet.
Early life
Whelan was born and raised in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, She started ballet at age three. After performing as a mouse in ''
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 ...
'' with the
Louisville Ballet
The Louisville Ballet is a ballet school and company based in Louisville, Kentucky and is the official state ballet of The Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is led by artistic and executive director Robert Curran, an Australian dancer and choreograp ...
, she began formal training, when she was eight, at the Louisville Ballet Academy. At age 12, she was diagnosed with severe
scoliosis, and had to wear a brace. In 1981, after auditioning before
Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an American ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Farrell began her ballet training at the age of eight. In 1960, she received a scholarship ...
, she received a scholarship to the summer intensive program at the
School of American Ballet. She was asked to stay in New York and train, but chose to return to Kentucky and study at the
J. Graham Brown School, a public high school, because she was only 14. The following year, she re-auditioned for SAB's summer course, this time before
Karin von Aroldingen, was accepted again, and chose to remain in New York afterward.
Whelan encountered
George Balanchine only once. On the day she danced one of his works for the first time, as a corps member in ''
Western Symphony
''Western Symphony'' is a ballet made by New York City Ballet co-founder and founding choreographer George Balanchine to American folk tunes arranged by Hershy Kay. It premiered on September 7, 1954 at the City Center of Music and Drama in New ...
'' at an SAB showcase, he died.
[
]
Career
Whelan joined the NYCB in 1984 as an apprentice and entered the company's corps de ballet
In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers.
...
in January 1986. She was promoted to soloist in 1989, and to principal dancer
A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company.
A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of '' soloist''; however, p ...
in 1991. She had danced lead roles in George Balanchine's works, and worked with Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television.
Among his nu ...
. In 2001, Whelan worked with Christopher Wheeldon in ''Polyphonia'', which became Wheeldon's breakthrough ballet, and led to Whelan "beginning to find herself as a dancer." Whelan went on to originate in 12 more of Wheeldon's ballets, notably '' Liturgy'' and '' After the Rain''. Whelan is also a frequent collaborator of Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
, in works such as ''Russian Seasons
''Russian Seasons'' is a ballet choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky to Leonid Desyatnikov's music of the same name, with costumes designed by Galina Solovyeva. The ballet premiered on June 8, 2006 at the New York State Theater, performed by the N ...
'' and '' Concerto DSCH''. Other choreographers she worked with include Twyla Tharp
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 ...
, Wayne McGregor
Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of the ...
and William Forsythe. She created roles in over 40 ballets, and is believed to have worked with more choreographers than any dancer in the company's history.[
Outside of NYCB, she had guested with ]The Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
in London and the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, and performed with Wheeldon's Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.[ In 2012, she began a new collaborative project titled ''Restless Creature''. She premiered this project at Jacob's Pillow in 2013. Whelan chose four choreographers—Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo—to create dances for her. She has taken this production on national tour. It consists of four solos and duets, with Whelan dancing each duet with its choreographer.][
Following an accident in 2012, Whelan began experiencing pains in her right hip. In 2013, she had a surgical reconstruction on her hip, followed by physical therapy. She eventually returned to the stage.] A documentary film, titled ''Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan'' and released in 2017, followed Whelan through her hip surgery and recovery, the project's creation, and the last two years of her NYCB career.
In 2014, Whelan left NYCB after 30 years in the company. Her farewell performance was sold out within minutes.[ The performance included works by '']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 ...
'' by Balanchine, pas de six from ''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 ...
'' by Robbins, ''Concerto DSCH'', the ''After the Rain'' pas de deux, and a new work titled ''By 2 With & From'' by Wheeldon and Ratmansky.
After her departure from ballet, she shifted her focus to contemporary dance.[ In 2015, she appeared in a mixed bill titled ''Whelan/Watson: Other Stories'', alongside Royal Ballet principal Edward Watson in Linbury Studio Theatre, London.
Whelan was appointed an Artistic Associate for developing new projects at ]New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and t ...
for a 2-year term from November 2014. Whelan was an artist-in-residence at Barnard College
Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...
from November 2015 to May 2017. In 2017, she staged Ratmansky's ''Pictures at an Exhibition
''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's most famous pia ...
'' for the Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004.
The company consists of 49 dan ...
.
After Peter Martins
Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and John Taras as ...
' resignation in 2018 following allegations concerning emotional and physical abuse, Whelan was seen as a possible new director. A petition to hire her had over 15,000 signatures. In February 2019, Whelan was appointed as Associate Artistic Director of the NYCB. Jonathan Stafford
Jonathan Stafford is an American ballet dancer and artistic director. He danced with the New York City Ballet (NYCB) as a principal dancer until his retirement in 2014, then he served as a ballet master. He became the artistic director of NYCB in ...
, who had been acting as interim leader, was named Artistic Director. The two said they intended to work as partners, Stafford would be in charge of artistic operations while Whelan supervises programming. This is the first NYCB leadership that had never worked with Balanchine.
Style
Whelan is known for her angular body and muscularity, particularly suited to the Balanchine style. She had been called America’s greatest contemporary ballerina. Mikhail Baryshnikov commented she was "the best" and "there's a complexity, a sense of internal life, a woman on stage. You're always trying to decode this person when she moves."[
]
Originated roles
* Ulysses Dove: ''Red Angels''
*Jorma Elo
Jorma Elo is a contemporary choreographer.
Early life
He was born 30 August 1961 in Helsinki, Finland. His father, Jaakko Elo, is a urological surgeon, mother Ruth Elo née Carlstedt, a dentist. Jorma Elo's partner since 1994 is Nancy Euverin ...
: '' Slice to Sharp''
* Albert Evans: '' In a Landscape''
* William Forsythe: '' Herman Schmerman''
*Peter Martins
Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and John Taras as ...
: ''Ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
'', '' Jazz (Six Syncopated Movements)'', ''Les petits riens
''Les petits riens'' (French for "The Little Nothings") is a ballet in one act and three tableaux by Jean-Georges Noverre, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other unknown composers, first performed at the Academie Royale de Musique in Pari ...
''
*Wayne McGregor
Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of the ...
: '' Outlier''
*Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
: '' Concerto DSCH'', '' Namouna, A Grand Divertissement'', ''Pictures at an Exhibition
''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's most famous pia ...
'', ''Russian Seasons
''Russian Seasons'' is a ballet choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky to Leonid Desyatnikov's music of the same name, with costumes designed by Galina Solovyeva. The ballet premiered on June 8, 2006 at the New York State Theater, performed by the N ...
''
*Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television.
Among his nu ...
: ''Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
''
*Lynne Taylor-Corbett Lynne Taylor-Corbett is a choreographer, director, lyricist, and composer. She was born in Denver, Colorado.
Life
Lynne Taylor-Corbett grew up in the Denver, Colorado area, gaining her first exposure to dance through her mother, a pianist for ball ...
: ''The Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins is a classification of vices used in Christian teachings.
Seven deadly sins may also refer to:
Art
* ''The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things'', a 1485 painting by Hieronymus Bosch
* '' The Seven Deadly Sins of Moder ...
''
* Christopher Wheeldon: '' After the Rain'', '' Les Carillons'', '' Klavier'', '' Liturgy'', '' Morphoses'', '' The Nightingale and the Rose'', ''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. ...
'', '' Five Movements, Three Repeats''
Awards and honours
*2007: Nominated for an Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
and a Critics' Circle Award for her performances with the Morphoses/Wheeldon Company.
*2007: ''Dance Magazine
''Dance Magazine'' is an American trade publication for dance published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as ''The American Dancer''. ''Dance Magazine'' has multiple sister publications, including '' Point ...
'' award
*2009: Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Bellarmine University
*2011: The Jerome Robbins Award
*2011: Bessie Award
The New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, are awarded annually for exceptional achievement by independent dance artists presenting their work in New York City. The broad categories of the awards are: choreography, ...
for Sustained Achievement in Performance
Personal life
Whelan married photographer David Michalek in September 2005. They reside in New York City.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Wendy
1967 births
Living people
Artists from Louisville, Kentucky
American ballerinas
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet principal dancers
20th-century American ballet dancers
21st-century American ballet dancers
Dancers from Kentucky
Morphoses dancers
School of American Ballet alumni
J. Graham Brown School alumni
Kentucky women artists
21st-century American women