Christopher Wheeldon

The Royal Ballet welcomed Christopher Wheeldon, OBE in 1991 when he completed his training there and received the Prix de Lausanne Gold Medal. He joined the New York City Ballet in 1993 and was given the soloist title in 1998. In 1997, Wheeldon started choreographing for the New York City Ballet while also pursuing his performing career. He stopped dancing in 2000 so he could concentrate on his choreography.

Wheeldon was hired as the first resident artist and resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet in 2001. In this role, he produced well-received choreographies, the first of which was Polyphonia, for the ensemble. His skill as a choreographer immediately gained him recognition, and a number of other prestigious ballet organizations, including the San Francisco Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Royal Ballet of London, have requested dances from him.

In addition to producing a unique section for the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony, Christopher Wheeldon acted as the artistic director of the Fashion Forward show at La Musée Arts et Decoratif in Paris in April 2016. Wheeldon won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Choreography as well as the Outer Critics Award for Best Choreography and Direction for his work on the Broadway production of An American in Paris, which played in New York, Paris, and London and toured the United States, China, Japan, and Australia.

Born: 1973
Nationality: English