April Ball’s vast and varied international experience enables her to impart knowledge
that is both deeply rooted in tradition and broad in contemporary relevance. Ball
finds great joy in using both her rich career as a principal dancer and her academic
background to prepare artists to thrive in the dynamic world of professional dance.
April’s 30-year performing career includes tenures with Boston Ballet, Suzanne Farrell
Ballet and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. On stage, she has performed an extensive repertoire
of classical ballets and has received critical acclaim for her interpretations of
modern masterpieces by renowned choreographers such as Balanchine, Duato, Forsythe,
Taylor, Morris and MacMillan. Ball has also collaborated directly with visionary choreographers
like Jiří Kylián, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Marco Goecke, Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger,
Shen Wei, Christopher Wheeldon and Jean-Christophe Maillot.
As a teacher and coach, April has worked with dancers worldwide, including at Boston
Ballet, Harvard University, Sun Ballet Beijing, Nice Opera Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet
Theatre and Philadelphia Ballet.
I am dedicated to nurturing the next generation of ballet artists, equipping them with a strong technical foundation while fostering adaptability, curiosity, and resilience to prepare them for the dynamic demands of a dance career.
April Ball
Career Highlights
- Over 1300 performances in more than 75 dinstinct works.
- Collaborating in creating roles in over 30 new works (ballet and contemporary) such as the Black Swan in Maillot's Swan Lake (Lac).
- Dancing in historically significant places and on some of the world’s most prestigious stages: the Palace of Versailles, the Bolshoi Theare (Moscow), La Fenice (Venice), the Liceu (Barcelona), outdoors in the Thermal Baths in Rome, Kennedy Center, Theatre Garnier (Monaco), the Grand National Theater (Beijing), Bunkamura (Tokyo), and the Coliseum (London).
Awards, Recognitions, and Honors
- Best Female Dancer (nominee), 1999 - Benois de la Danse
- Gold Medal, 1994 - Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition
- Silver Medal, 1994 - International Ballet Competition, Jackson, MS
Education
B.A.A.S. Leadership and Communications/PositivePsychologyUniversity of Pennsylvania
National Diploma, Dance EducationPole National Superieur de Danse-Cannes