Aesha Ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aesha Ash
|
|
|---|---|
Aesha Ash, 2018
|
|
| Born | December 30, 1977 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | School of American Ballet |
| Occupation |
|
| 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 an amazing American ballet dancer and a dedicated teacher. She performed many important roles with famous ballet companies like the New York City Ballet. She also danced as a soloist with Béjart Ballet and Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
After she stopped dancing professionally, she started The Swan Dreams Project in 2011. This project helps show that ballet is for everyone, especially for Black women. In 2020, she made history. She became the first African American woman to teach full-time at the School of American Ballet.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Aesha Ash grew up in Rochester, New York. She began dancing ballet, tap, and jazz when she was just 5 years old. At age 10, she decided to focus only on ballet.
When she was 13, Aesha traveled to New York City. She trained at the School of American Ballet's summer program. She attended this program for two more years. Then, she was accepted as a full-time student at the school. In 1996, she won the Mae L. Wien Awards for Outstanding Promise. This award is given to students who show great talent.
Dancing Career
In 1996, Aesha Ash joined the New York City Ballet. She was 18 years old. 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.
In 2003, Aesha left the New York City Ballet. She then joined the Béjart Ballet in Switzerland as a soloist. After two years, she returned to the U.S.
In 2005, she joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet. This is a contemporary ballet company in San Francisco. She found it challenging but exciting to join a new company. Between 2007 and 2008, she also toured with Christopher Wheeldon's group, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. She stopped dancing professionally at the end of 2008.
The Swan Dreams Project
In 2011, Aesha Ash started The Swan Dreams Project. She wanted to encourage African American children to get involved in ballet. For this project, she took beautiful photos of herself in ballet clothes. These photos helped raise money for programs that support diversity in ballet.
The project also runs a summer camp in her hometown of Rochester. There is also an after-school program in San Jose, California. In 2016, she received the Women Making History Award. This award recognized her important work. A newspaper called The Guardian wrote about her. They said she was "an elite ballerina helping everyone feel welcome onstage."
Teaching and Leadership
In 2015, the School of American Ballet (SAB) created a diversity committee. Aesha Ash was one of the first members. She taught workshops and was a guest teacher at SAB.
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 accepted a full-time teaching position at SAB. This made her the first African American woman to be a full-time faculty member there. Her teaching began in September 2020.
The Rochester Museum & Science Center honored her. They called her one of their "women who changed the world." She also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She shared her story and talked about challenges for Black women in ballet. She even invited a young dancer to visit SAB.
In December 2021, it was announced that Aesha Ash would take on a new role. She became the associate chair of faculty at the School of American Ballet in summer 2022. This is a newly created leadership position.
Film Appearances
Aesha Ash has also appeared in films and TV shows.
- In 2001, she was in the documentary Living a Ballet Dream.
- She also appeared on Sesame Street.
- She was in Barbie in the Nutcracker.
- She was the dance double for Zoe Saldana in the 2000 movie Center Stage.
Personal Life
Aesha Ash is married to Natale Ruello. They have two children. They used to live in San Jose, California. In 2020, they moved to New York when Aesha started her job at the School of American Ballet.
Awards
- 1996: Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise
- 2016: NWHM Women Making History Award
