Mira Nadon (born ) is an American ballet dancer. 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 2018, and in 2023, she was promoted to principal dancer, as the first Asian American woman to hold this position.
Early life and education
Nadon was born in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. Her mother, originally from India, was a lawyer, and her father is a professor of government. She has a twin brother. When she was five, her father took a position at
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and internat ...
, and her family moved to California.
Nadon began her training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in
Montclair, California
Montclair is a city in the Pomona Valley, in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, east of downtown Los Angeles. The population was 37,865 in the 2020 United States census.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the area were f ...
. At age 12, while participating in the academy's summer intensive, she learned excerpts of several works by
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 ...
, which led to her fascination with him and 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 ...
(NYCB). The next two years, she attended the summer program 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 ...
(SAB), NYCB's school. Then, the 14-year-old Nadon began attending the school full-time. At the end of her second year, she danced a lead role in Balanchine's ''
Scotch Symphony
''Scotch Symphony'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, "Scottish". The ballet is inspired by Scotland, and evokes the style of the romantic ballet era, particularly ''La Sylphide'', which is set in Sc ...
'' at SAB's annual workshop performance.
Nadon completed high school through
Professional Children's School
The Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college-preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades four through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an ac ...
, concurrently with her time at SAB and NYCB. After she graduated, she began studying at
Fordham University
Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
.
Career
Nadon became an apprentice with NYCB in November 2017, at just 16, and joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2018. In 2019, at 18, she danced her first major role, as the tall girl in Balanchine's "Rubies" from ''
Jewels
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...
''. Her performance was singled out by ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' critic Gia Kourlas, who called it the "crowning jewel" of the season and "a promise to the future." The newspaper listed her performance among "Best Dance of 2019", and named her one of "The Biggest Breakout Stars of 2019".
As a corps dancer, Nadon also danced featured roles in Balanchine's '' Raymonda Variations'', ''
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 ...
'' (as Dewdrop), ''
Monumentum pro Gesualdo
''Monumentum pro Gesualdo'' is a 1960 arrangement and recomposition by Igor Stravinsky of three madrigals by Carlo Gesualdo: 1. Asciugate i begli occhi (Book 5, XIV); 2. Ma tu, cagion di quella (Book 5, XVIII); 3. Beltà poi che t'assenti (Book 6 ...
'' and ''
Movements for Piano and Orchestra
''Movements'' is a 1959 five-movement work for piano and orchestra by Igor Stravinsky lasting about ten minutes. It was written during his Serialism, serial period and shows his dedication to that idiom as well as the influence of Anton Webern.O ...
'', Robbins' ''
Glass Pieces
''Glass Pieces'' is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to music by Philip Glass, costumes designed by Ben Benson, lighting designed by Ronald Bates and production designed by Robbins and Bates. The ballet was premiered on May 12, 1983, at ...
'', in Martins' '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (as Fairy of Courage), Peck's ''Bright'' and Tanowitz's ''Bartók Ballet''. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she appeared in ''pixilation in a wave (Within Wires)'', a film made for NYCB's digital season, with choreography by Sidra Bell. She also originated a role in Bell's ''Suspended Animation'' (2021).
In January 2022, Nadon was promoted to soloist. She originated roles in Justin Peck's ''Partita'' (2022) and ''Copland Dance Episodes'' (2023), and in Keerati Jinakunwiphat's ''Fortuitous Ash'' (2023). She also danced in NYCB's first performance of Robbins' ''Rondo'' since 1980. As a soloist, she also danced featured roles in ballets such as Balanchine's ''
The Four Temperaments
''The Four Temperaments'' or Theme and Four Variations (''The Four Temperaments'') is an orchestral work and ballet by Paul Hindemith. Although it was originally conceived as a ballet for Léonide Massine, the score was ultimately completed a ...
'', ''
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 ...
Episodes
Episodes may refer to:
* Episode, a part of a dramatic work
* Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011
* Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal
...
'', as well as in Martins' '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (as Lilac Fairy and Diamond), and Wheeldon's ''DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse''.
In February 2023, the 21-year-old Nadon was named principal dancer, becoming the first Asian American woman to hold this position at NYCB.
Awards and honors
In 2022, Nadon received the
Princess Grace Award
The Princess Grace Foundation – USA is a charity organization named after Princess Grace of Monaco, which supports emerging performers in theater, dance, and film in the form of awards, grants, scholarships, and fellowships. The Foundation hol ...