Biography of Damian Woetzel

 He received his ballet training at the Boston School of Ballet, the Los Angeles Ballet, and at the School of American Ballet. As a Principal Dancer in the New York City Ballet he has danced more than 75 leading roles in the repertoire, and has originated roles in ballets by Jerome Robbins, Eliot Feld, Christopher Wheeldon, Twyla Tharp and Susan Stroman among others. Damian Woetzel has starred as a guest artist with many of the world's great ballet companies, including the Kirov Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, and he has also starred as a principal dancer with Metropolitan Opera. He is often called upon to lead his own touring production of "Damian Woetzel and Friends," which includes stars of American and international ballet, and he has produced these performances around the world.

Mr. Woetzel's film and television credits include the "Cavalier" in George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER, Prince Siegfried in Peter Martins' Swan Lake, and Dance in America's presentation of "Dinner with Balanchine" in which he danced UNION JACK and STARS AND STRIPES. In October 1998, Mr. Woetzel appeared as one of the stars of the Cole Porter musical JUBILEE in a special benefit performance at Carnegie Hall, during which he sang as well as danced.

As a choreographer Mr. Woetzel has created ballets for the New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, and Carolina Ballet among others, and for Marvin Hamlisch's Gershwin Centennial Gala he choreographed and starred in a new version of the "American In Paris" ballet. Mr. Woetzel is a member of the guest faculty at the School of American Ballet.

In the spring of 2001, Mr. Woetzel received the Dance Magazine Award, and in 2003 he received the Choo San Goh Award for new choreography.

He is a charter member of the National Committee on U.S. China Relations' Young Leaders Forum, dedicated to forming bonds between future business and cultural leaders from the United States and China.