Russell Janzen and More Promoted at New York City Ballet

New York City Ballet announced today the promotion of eight of the Company's dancers. Soloist Russell Janzen has been promoted to the rank of principal dancer, and corps de ballet members Sara Adams, Harrison Ball, Emilie Gerrity, Joseph Gordon, Unity Phelan, Troy Schumacher, and Indiana Woodward have been promoted to Soloist.

Peter Martins, NYCB's Ballet Master in Chief, made the promotions on Sunday, February 19 prior to the 3 p.m. matinee performance of Martins' full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty. All the newly promoted dancers have performed featured roles throughout the Company's two-week presentation of The Sleeping Beauty, which concludes its run of performances today, Sunday, February 19.

Russell Janzen was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and began his dance training at the age of six at The Rock School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Janzen attended summer sessions in 2004 and 2005 at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student in the winter of 2005. In October 2007, Janzen became an apprentice with NYCB, and in June 2008, he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. As a member of the corps de ballet, he performed leading roles in George Balanchine's Chaconne, Concerto Barocco, "Diamonds" from Jewels, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania's Cavalier), George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (Cavalier), Orpheus, and Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 (Élégie) as well as works by Peter Martins (Barber Violin Concerto, Romeo +Juliet, and The Waltz Project), and Christopher Wheeldon (Les Carillons and Mercurial Manoeuvres).

He was promoted to soloist in October 2014. Since his promotion to soloist, Janzen has performed principal roles in August Bournonville's Bournonville Divertissements; George Balanchine's Cortège Hongrois, Robert Schumann's "Davidsbündlertänze," Duo Concertant, Episodes, , Liebeslieder Walzer, Monumentum Pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried), and Vienna Waltzes; Peter Martins' Morgen, Fearful Symmetries, and Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried); Justin Peck's Everywhere We Go; and Jerome Robbins' Glass Pieces. He also originated roles in new work created for the Company including in Kim Brandstrup's Jeux, Pontus Lidberg's The Shimmering Asphalt, Justin Peck's The Most Incredible Thing and Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, Troy Schumacher's Common Ground, and Peter Walker's ten in seven. During the Company's current run of The Sleeping Beauty, Janzen made his debut in the role of Gold.

He was the recipient of the 2007 Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise, an award established at SAB by Lawrence A. Wien with his daughters and their families to honor Mrs. Wien, a great devotee of ballet, and the 2015 Clive Barnes Foundation Award, given annually to talented young professionals in the artistic fields of dance and theater.

The Company's 2017 winter season will continue through February 26 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The final week of performances will feature two programs, an All Robbins program of Glass Pieces, Moves, and The Concert (February 21, 23, and 25), and an All Rodgers program of Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance), Peter Martins' Thou Swell, and George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (February 22, 24, and 26). The Company returns for its annual spring performances from April 18 to May 28, 2017.

For more information about New York City Ballet visit nycballet.com

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