Kyra Nichols
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Kyra Nichols (born July 2, 1958) is an American retired ballet dancer and teacher. She joined the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1979. She is one of the last dancers to have worked with
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
, although he did not create any new work on her. However, she originated roles in several ballets by
Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...
. Nichols retired from performing in 2007, after a 33-year career. Nichols joined the
Pennsylvania Ballet Philadelphia Ballet (formerly known as Pennsylvania Ballet until its rebranding in 2021) is the largest ballet company in Philadelphia. The company's annual local season features six programs of classic pieces, such as George Balanchine's ''The ...
as a ballet mistress in the 2014–15 season. In 2017, she left to serve as Violette Verdy and Kathy Ziliak Anderson Chair in Ballet and professor of music in ballet at the
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music. It has more than 1,500 students, approximately half of whom ar ...
.


Early life and training

Kyra Nichols was born on July 2, 1958, in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
. She received her dance training from her mother, Sally Streets, who danced with the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
in the 1950s. She was also taught by
Alan Howard Alan Howard may refer to: * Alan Howard (actor) (1937–2015), English actor * Alan Howard (cricketer) (1909–1993), English cricketer * Alan Howard (engineer) (1905–1966), American engineer * Alan Howard (hedge fund manager) (born 1963), hed ...
, a former member of
Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (with a plural name) was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil (usually referred to as Colonel W. de Basil), and its ...
and New York City Ballet. Starting at age twelve, she attended summer intensives at the
School of American Ballet The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the age of six, with professional voc ...
in New York. After the third summer, she was asked to stay as a full-time student.


Career

Nichols became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet in 1974, shortly before she turned 16. She was hired as a full company member later that year. In her early career, she was not noticed by choreographer
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
, instead she was mentored by principal dancer Jacques D'Amboise, who also cast her in works he choreographed. Balanchine eventually spotted her and cast her as the principal in the Fourth Movement of '' Symphony in C''. Nichols was promoted to soloist in 1978 and principal dancer the following year. Nichols worked closely with Balanchine. In 1980, he revised his version of ''
The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (; ) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine, who c ...
'' on her. Balanchine once called her exactness of execution "God-given." However, he did not make any new ballet on her. Balanchine died in 1983, therefore Nichols became one of the last dancers to have worked with him. The various ballets by Balanchine she was known for include ''
Serenade In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Ital ...
'', ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
'', '' Liebeslieder Walzer'', ''Kammermusik No. 2'', ''Divertimento No. 15'', ''
Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze ''Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”'' is one of the last major works made by New York City Ballet's founding choreographer and balletmaster-in-chief, George Balanchine. It is set to Robert Schumann's '' Davidsbündlertänze'' (''Danc ...
'' and ''
La Sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (; ''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...
''. Nichols had created several roles for
Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...
, starting with the 1978 ''Verdi Variations'', which would become "Spring" in '' The Four Seasons''. Other notable Robbins ballet she originated roles in include ''
Piano Pieces ''Piano Pieces'' is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The ballet was made for New York City Ballet's Tchaikovsky Festival, and premiered on June 11, 1981, at the New York State Theater. Choreography ...
'', ''
I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song ...
'', ''
Antique Epigraphs ''Antique Epigraphs'' is a ballet made on New York City Ballet by ballet master Jerome Robbins to an orchestrated version of Debussy's ''Six épigraphes antiques'', L131, for piano, four hands, from 1914: * “Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d' ...
'' and ''Rondo''. She had also worked with choreographers
Peter Martins Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish former ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and J ...
,
Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. Her notable theater productions include ''Oklahoma!'', ''The Music Man'', ''Crazy for You (musical), Crazy for You'', ''Contact (musical), Co ...
,
Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1965 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance, which merged with American Ballet Theatre in 1988. She regrouped the compa ...
and William Forsythe. Towards the end of her dance career, she was allowed to choose what to dance, and her workload was reduced. Following an unusually long 33-year career, Nichols retired from the New York City Ballet in 2007, shortly before she turned 49. In her farewell performance, she danced ''Serenade'' as the Waltz Girl, ''Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze'' and "Der Rosenkavalier" from ''
Vienna Waltzes ''Vienna Waltzes'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár and Richard Strauss, made as a tribute to Austria. It premiered on June 23, 1977 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New Y ...
'', all three were choreographed by Balanchine. Nichols started teaching at the Princeton Ballet School whilst an active dancer, and continued to do so after she retired. She joined the
Pennsylvania Ballet Philadelphia Ballet (formerly known as Pennsylvania Ballet until its rebranding in 2021) is the largest ballet company in Philadelphia. The company's annual local season features six programs of classic pieces, such as George Balanchine's ''The ...
as a ballet mistress in the 2014–15 season. At the company, she staged Balanchine's ''
Concerto Barocco ''Concerto Barocco'' is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Bach's Concerto for Two Violins. Danced by a cast of eleven, the ballet is completely plotless, and according to Balanchine, "has no "subject matter" beyond the ...
'' and ''Serenade''. In 2017, she left to join the faculty of
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music. It has more than 1,500 students, approximately half of whom ar ...
as Violette Verdy and Kathy Ziliak Anderson Chair in Ballet and professor of music in ballet, succeeding
Violette Verdy Violette Verdy (born Nelly Armande Guillerm; 1 December 1933 – 8 February 2016) was a French ballerina, choreographer, teacher, and writer who worked as a dance company director with the Paris Opera Ballet in France and the Boston Ballet in the ...
, who died the previous year. In 2023, Nichols returned to New York City Ballet for the first time since her retirement to coach three ballets, including Robbins' ''Rondo'', for the company's first performances of the ballet since 1980, as well as Balanchine's '' Walpurgisnacht Ballet'' and ''Donizetti Variations''.


Personal life

Nichols is married to David Gray, who worked at the New York City Ballet press office. Gray would later serve as Pennsylvania Ballet's executive director. They have two sons, born in 1996 and 2001 respectively.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Kyra 1958 births Living people People from Berkeley, California New York City Ballet principal dancers School of American Ballet alumni Jacobs School of Music faculty American prima ballerinas American ballet teachers 20th-century American ballet dancers 21st-century American ballet dancers Dancers from California 21st-century American educators 21st-century American women educators