Cynthia Harvey
Cynthia Harvey | |
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Born | San Rafael, California, U.S. | May 17, 1957
Occupations |
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Children | 1 |
Career | |
Former groups | American Ballet Theatre The Royal Ballet Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School |
Cynthia Harvey (born May 17, 1957) is an American former ballet dancer,
Early life and training
Harvey was born on May 17, 1957, in San Rafael, California,[1] and raised in Novato.[2] Her parents are divorced. Her mother, who is of Mexican descent, was an office manager.[3] When she was ten, she attended a summer ballet class at a local YMCA. Recognising her talents, the teacher suggested Harvey's mother to have her train for ballet seriously. Harvey then trained with a local teacher, while spending summers at the San Francisco Ballet School and School of American Ballet on scholarship, and performed with both local and visiting ballet companies.[4] She also attended San Marin High School.[3] When she was fifteen, she auditioned for the American Ballet Theatre's school when the company was touring in California. She was accepted, and unusually, she was given a scholarship that covered both ballet and academics. She moved to New York by herself, and trained for nine months before becoming an apprentice with the company.[4]
Career
1974–1996: as dancer
In 1974, at sixteen, Harvey joined the American Ballet Theatre.[2][3] She made her company debut as a page in a one-act version of The Sleeping Beauty, and was often cast by choreographers Twyla Tharp and Glen Tetley.[4] In 1977, she volunteered to assist Mikhail Baryshnikov, the artistic director of the company, to choreograph his version of Don Quixote. Baryshnikov choreographed his first ideas on Harvey and a few other volunteers. He also cast her as a flower girl in the ballet.[3][4] The following year, she substituted principal dancers Martine van Hamel and Cynthia Gregory in Don Quixote as Kitri, to positive reviews, and was promoted to soloist.[3][4] In 1979, she made her debut as Myrta in Giselle.[5] In 1980, when Natalia Makarova staged her version of La Bayadère, Harvey was chosen to dance the role of Gamzatti at the premiere.[4][6]
Harvey was named principal dancer in 1982.[2] The following year, she created a role in McFall's Interludes.[1] The lead roles she had danced with the company include Odette-Odile in Swan Lake,[7][8] the title role in Giselle,[9] Nikiya in La Bayadère,[10] Juliet in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet,[11] the title role in Baryshnikov's Cinderella,[12] as well as in Paquita[13] and Les Sylphides.[14]
In 1986, Harvey left the American Ballet Theatre to join The Royal Ballet in London, and became the company's first American principal dancer.[15] The invitation came from Anthony Dowell, the director of the Royal Ballet who had danced with Harvey at ABT. Though she was initially hesitant with the invitation, she accepted it after Baryshnikov told her she would regret rejecting the offer.[2] At the Royal Ballet, she performed various classical ballets, works choreographed by Frederick Ashton, and originated a role in Bintley's Still Life at the Penguin Café.[1] Though she was originally set to spend a year in London,[2] she did not return to ABT until 1988. However, she made guest appearances with the Royal Ballet after her departure.[1]
Throughout her career, she also performed with other companies as a guest artist, including Baryshnikov and Company,
1996–present: as ballet mistress and educator
After her retirement from dancing, Harvey started working as a guest
Harvey has taught at companies such as ABT,
In 2016, Harvey was appointed artistic director of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, the affiliated school of ABT, succeeding Franco De Vita.[15] She stepped down from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in May 2022.[17] She continues to teach, coach and stage ballets, and became a consultant for To the Pointe, a British arts management company.[17] In 2023, Harvey was named associate guest répétiteur at the English National Ballet.[19]
Personal life
Harvey has a son. She moved to England after she retired from performing.[20] Prior to her joining the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, she was based in Norwich.[18]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0199563449.
- ^ a b c d e Dunning, Jennifer (July 4, 1986). "Cynthia Harvey To Spend A Year With Royal Ballet". New York Times.
- ^ a b c d e Rowes, Barbara (January 12, 1981). "Baryshnikov Picks a New Partner with Classic Grace, Cynthia Harvey". People.
- ^ a b c d e f Tomalonis, Tamara (April 17, 1980). "'Overnight Success' at the ABT". The Washington Post.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (September 7, 1979). "Dance: Cynthia Harvey Debuts As Myrta in 'Giselle'". New York Times.
- ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (May 23, 1980). "Ballet Theater: New 'Bayadere'". New York Times.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (June 12, 1989). "Reviews/Ballet; Cynthia Harvey as Odette In Baryshnikov's Version". New York Times.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (June 24, 1990). "Review/Dance; Baryshnikov's 'Swan Lake' With Harvey and Graffin". New York Times.
- ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (September 13, 1990). "Ballet Theater: Harvey in 'Giselle'". New York Times.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (May 31, 1992). "Dance View; Stretches and Leaps Within Ballet Theater". New York Times.
- ^ Anderson, Jack (July 2, 1986). "Ballet: Two Casts In 'Romeo'". New York Times.
- ^ Anderson, Jack (May 30, 1985). "Ballet: Cynthia Harvey As Cinderella". New York Times.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (May 18, 1984). "Ballet Theater: 'Paquita'". New York Times.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (May 19, 1986). "Ballet: 'Les Sylphides'". New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Barone, Joshua (January 7, 2016). "Cynthia Harvey Named Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater School". New York Times.
- ^ a b c d "Cynthia Harvey answers the Gramilano Questionnaire... Dancers' Edition". Gramilano. May 31, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Cynthia Harvey to leave the American Ballet Theatre School". Gramilano. February 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Gallagher, Lauren (June 27, 2017). "Legendary Ballerina Cynthia Harvey's Second Act as Artistic Director of the ABT JKO School". Playbill.
- ^ Escoyne, Courtney (July 3, 2023). "News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in June 2023". Dance Magazine.
- ^ Hochman, Jerry (August 12, 2014). "In conversation with Cynthia Harvey". CriticalDance.
External links
- Cynthia Harvey at IMDb
- Cynthia Harvey on American Ballet Theatre's website