Aesha Ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aesha Ash
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Aesha Ash, 2018
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| Born | December 30, 1977 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | School of American Ballet |
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| Years active | 1995-2009 |
| Children | 2 |
| Former groups | New York City Ballet Béjart Ballet Alonzo King LINES Ballet Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company |
Aesha Ash (born December 30, 1977) is a famous American ballet dancer and teacher. She performed many important roles with the New York City Ballet. She was also a main dancer with other groups like Béjart Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
After she stopped performing, Aesha Ash started The Swan Dreams Project in 2011. This project helps to change old ideas about Black women in ballet. In 2020, she made history by becoming the first African-American female teacher at the School of American Ballet.
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Early Life and Training
Aesha Ash grew up in Rochester, New York. She started dancing ballet, tap, and jazz when she was five years old. At age 10, she decided to focus only on ballet.
When she was 13, she went to New York City. She trained at the School of American Ballet during their summer program. She attended this program for two more years. After that, she was accepted as a full-time student at the school. In 1996, she won the Mae L. Wien Awards for Outstanding Promise. In the summer of 2022, she became the school's associate chair of faculty.
Ballet Career
In 1996, Aesha Ash joined the New York City Ballet when she was 18. She was the only Black woman in the company at that time. She performed many leading roles in famous ballets. These included Balanchine's The Nutcracker and Symphony in C.
Aesha left the company in 2003. She had faced challenges and felt her career would not grow further there. Later that year, she joined Béjart Ballet in Switzerland as a main dancer. She stayed there for two years. She then returned to the U.S. in 2005. She joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a contemporary ballet company in San Francisco. She also toured with Christopher Wheeldon's group, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, from 2007 to 2008. She stopped dancing professionally at the end of 2008.
The Swan Dreams Project
In 2011, Aesha Ash created The Swan Dreams Project. This project helps to encourage African-American children to get involved in ballet. For the project, she took photos in her ballet clothes. These photos helped raise money for other programs that support diversity in ballet.
The project also runs a summer camp in Rochester, Aesha's hometown. It also has an after-school program in San Jose, California. In 2016, she received the Women Making History Award. This award was from the National Women's History Museum. She was also featured in The Guardian newspaper for her work.
Teaching and Leadership
In 2015, the School of American Ballet (SAB) started a diversity committee. Aesha Ash was one of the first members. She taught workshops for the school in California. She was also a guest teacher for SAB from 2016 to 2017. From 2018 to 2020, she was the visiting faculty chair.
In July 2019, she gave a TEDx talk. She spoke about how important it is to step out of your comfort zone. In January 2020, Aesha Ash joined the permanent teaching staff at the School of American Ballet. This made her the first African-American female full-time teacher at the school. Her teaching began in September 2020.
The Rochester Museum & Science Center honored her appointment. They called her one of their "women who changed the world." She also appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show. There, she shared her story and talked about the challenges she faced in ballet. In December 2021, it was announced that Aesha Ash would become the associate chair of faculty at the School of American Ballet. This new role started in the summer of 2022.
Film Appearances
Aesha Ash has appeared in several films and TV shows. In 2001, she was in the documentary Living a Ballet Dream. She also appeared in New York City Ballet Work Out II and Sesame Street. She was also in Barbie in the Nutcracker. Aesha also served as Zoe Saldana's dance double in the 2000 movie Center Stage.
Personal Life
Aesha Ash is married to Natale Ruello. They have two children. They lived in San Jose, California until 2020. Then they moved to New York when Aesha started her job at the School of American Ballet.
Awards and Recognition
- 1996: Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise
- 2016: NWHM Women Making History Award
