Joy Womack

Joy Annabelle Womack
Born 1994 (age 20–21)
Beverly Hills, California
Nationality American
Occupation Ballet dancer
Employer Kremlin Ballet Theater
Awards Grand Prix Award
Asian Grand Prix Award
Website
www.joywomack.com

Joy Womack is an American ballet dancer. She is the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program, and the first American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet.[1]

Early life and education

Born in California and one of nine children, she began attending the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2009 after Academy teachers noticed her at that year's summer intensive.[2] She was fifteen years old at the time.[3]

During her first year at the Academy,[4] Womack was among a group of students selected to perform for a regular Bolshoi audience in a special gala, along with the stars of the Bolshoi Ballet itself; she performed despite needing surgery for a bone injury.[3] She received the surgery later after a parishioner at her English-language church in Moscow offered to pay,[3] despite an offer from her parents to fly her home for surgery.[4]

Career

Womack's classical repertoire includes the roles of Giselle in Giselle, Masha in The Nutcracker, the pas de deux from Diana and Acteon, and Princess Budur in Thousand and One Nights.[5]

In November 2013, Womack announced in an interview with Известия that she was leaving the Bolshoi Ballet, which she claimed was fraught with corruption.[6] During the interview, she made allegations of extortion from an unnamed director in exchange for a solo part in a performance in September of that year.[7]Although some dancers, such as Alexander Petukhov, denied the allegations stating, "...If she knows something, let her name those people. Why smear the theater like that?" others, such as Natalia Vyskubeno, supported Womack's account.[8] Womack herself described this time as "...like breaking up with your first love."[9]

As of 2015, Womack is currently a principal dancer with the Kremlin Ballet Theater in Moscow.[10]

Awards

In 2011, she was awarded the Grand Prix Award at the Youth America Grand Prix in Paris, France.[11]

In 2013, she was awarded the Asian Grand Prix Award at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Key, Lauren (August–September 2012). "Pointe magazine – Ballet at its Best.". Pointe Magazine. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Teen Dancer's AMAZING Accomplishment". The Huffington Post. April 9, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J. Levy, Clifford (May 31, 2010). "Young Americans Embrace Rigors of the Bolshoi". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fowler, Damian (Summer 2012). "A Texan in Moscow". Listen. pp. 29–31.
  5. ↑ "Joy Womack". http://kremlinpalace.org/''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Американская балерина обвинила руководство Большого в вымогательстве". http://izvestia.ru''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "American Ballerina Quits Bolshoi, Accuses Theater of Extortion". http://world.time.com/''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Joy Womack tells a story of bribe request, struggles at the Bolshoi". http://articles.latimes.com/''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Joy Womack tells a story of bribe request, struggles at the Bolshoi". http://articles.latimes.com/''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Joy Womack". http://kremlinpalace.org''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Biography". http://www.joywomack.com/''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Joy Womack". http://kremlinpalace.org''. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

External links