Cory Stearns

Paul Cornell "Cory" Stearns (born c. 1985) is currently a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, a classical ballet company based in New York City. Stearns is also a recognizable high fashion model.

Early Education and Development

Stearns began dancing at age of three with the encouragement of his mother (she having had studied the Graham technique).,^[1][2] He began ballet training age five at the Seiskaya Ballet in St. James, New York under the direction of Mme. Valia Seiskaya, formally of the National Opera of Greece.^[3] At thirteen, Stearns received a full scholarship to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre summer camp.^[4] At age fifteen, Stearns participated in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix. Stearns performance led to an eventual spot and scholarship in the Royal Ballet School in London.^[5] During Stearns education in London he was afforded the opportunity to appear in more commercial work as a male dancer in pop artist Kylie Minogue's Chocolate music video.^[6] Stearns graduated from The Royal Ballet School in 2004 and returned to New York.

Dance career

Stearns joined the Studio Company of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 2004. In the 2005 he was promoted to an apprentice with ABT and became part of the corps de ballet in 2006.^[7] Stearns premiere performance was as Conrad in the 2008 production of Le Corsaire. Stearns was promoted to Soloist in 2009 and elevated to Principal Dancer in January 2011. Stearns returned to London for a guest role as the Nutcracker Prince at the Royal Opera House.^[8] Stearns continues as a Principal Dancer with ABT.

Dance Repertoire

Awards

• 2009 Erik Bruhn Prize for best male dance
• 2004 the Dame Ruth Railton Award for excellence in dance (Royal Ballet School)
• 2003 the Dame Ruth Railton Award for excellence in dance (Royal Ballet School)

Modeling career

Stearns began his modeling career by chance in 2009 when a modeling agent spotted him at "New Andy's Deli".^[9] Stearns has subsequently modeled for such fashion brands as Louis Vuitton , Dolce & Gabbana and has photographed by well known photographers as Bruce Weber , Steven Klein and Annie Liebovitz who shot Stearns along with fellow dancers Benjamin Millepied and Stella Abrera for a Vogue Magazine spread.^[10]

Personal life

Stearns grew up in a Christian Science household in the Eastern Long Island town of Mattituck. He currently resides in New York City.

Stearns descends patrilineality from a New England family, most of his ancestors having immigrated from England to Massachusetts in the early 17th century. Stearns earliest direct ancestor Isaac Stearns arrived from England at Salem, Massachusetts on June 12, 1630 on the Arrabella with Gov. John Winthrop. The Stearns family has been seated in Lovell, Maine since 1788, having removed from Billerica, Massachusetts.^[11] Stearns is distantly related to Marcellus Stearns 11th Governor of Florida who was himself a native of Lovell, Maine. Cory Stearns is the 4x great grandson of Marcellus Stearns grandparents, David Stearns and Sally Andrews.^[12] Stearns is additionally distantly related to the Merriam publishing family most noted for the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

References