Craig Hall (dancer) facts for kids

Craig Hall, born around 1979, is an American ballet dancer. He danced with the New York City Ballet as a soloist until 2016. After that, he became a director who helps dancers learn their parts. He also helped lead the company for a time between late 2017 and early 2019.

Craig Hall's Early Life

Craig Hall was born in Maywood, Illinois. He started learning to dance when he was just 4 years old. When he was 14, he joined the Chicago Academy for the Arts.

In 1997, at age 18, he moved to New York City. There, he trained full-time at the School of American Ballet. He had already attended two summer dance programs there. In 1999, before he finished his training, he danced a special part in a ballet called Scènes de ballet. That same year, he won the Mae L. Wien Awards for his amazing talent.

Dancing Career Highlights

In October 1999, Craig Hall became an apprentice at the New York City Ballet. Just four months later, he joined the main group of dancers, called the corps de ballet. In 2007, he was promoted to a soloist. This means he danced important parts on his own or with a few other dancers.

Throughout his career, he performed in many ballets. These included works by famous choreographers like George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. He also created new roles in ballets by Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, and Jorma Elo.

Dancing the Role of Apollo

In 2011, Craig Hall was chosen by his fellow dancers for a special honor. They picked him to dance the main role in the ballet Apollo. This was part of the company's "Dancers' Choice" event. He was the first African American male dancer in the company to perform this important role.

He often danced with principal dancer Wendy Whelan. For her final performance, he danced with her in the After the Rain pas de deux. He also performed in a new work by Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky. Craig Hall also performed with Christopher Wheeldon's own dance company, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.

Life After Dancing

In 2016, Craig Hall stopped dancing full-time after a performance and some tours. At first, he didn't plan to stay involved with ballet. However, he was asked to become a répétiteur for Justin Peck. A répétiteur helps dancers learn and practice their parts for a ballet.

Hall then became a ballet master at the New York City Ballet. He helped stage Peck's ballets for both NYCB and other dance companies. In 2018, he also joined the teaching staff at the School of American Ballet. He helped coach Taylor Stanley, another dancer of color, for his first performance in Apollo.

In late 2017, Craig Hall was chosen to be part of a four-person team. This team led the New York City Ballet for a while. The team included ballet master Jonathan Stafford, Justin Peck, and fellow ballet master Rebecca Krohn. They managed the company until February 2019. At that time, Jonathan Stafford became the Artistic Director and Wendy Whelan became the Associate Artistic Director.

In November 2019, Craig Hall performed at the American Music Awards of 2019. He danced with Misty Copeland, a principal dancer from American Ballet Theatre. They performed during Taylor Swift's song "Lover". This was part of a medley when Swift received the Artist of the Decade award.

Personal Life

Craig Hall lives in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. When he is not involved with ballet, he enjoys photography.

Awards and Honors

• 1999: Mae L. Wien Awards