Debra Austin (dancer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debra Austin
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| Born | July 25, 1955 United States
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| Education | Professional Children's School School of American Ballet |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, Ballet master |
| Spouse(s) |
Marin Boieru
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
| Former groups | New York City Ballet Zurich Ballet Pennsylvania Ballet |
Debra Austin was born on July 25, 1955. She is a famous American ballet dancer. In 1982, she became a principal dancer at the Pennsylvania Ballet. This made her the first African-American woman to reach this high rank in a major American ballet company.
She was also the first African-American female dancer at the New York City Ballet. Today, she works as a ballet mistress for the Carolina Ballet.
Contents
Debra Austin's Dance Career
Early Training and New York City Ballet
Debra Austin started dancing when she was eight years old. At age twelve, she won a special scholarship. This allowed her to train at the School of American Ballet in New York City. While studying dance, she also attended the Professional Children's School for her regular classes.
When she was sixteen, a famous ballet director named George Balanchine chose her. She joined the New York City Ballet. This made her the first African-American female dancer in that company. Debra Austin also performed in shows that were shown on TV. These included programs for PBS and NBC.
Dancing in Europe and Return to the US
Later, Debra Austin left the New York City Ballet. She went to dance for the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland. There, she was promoted to a soloist. This means she often performed alone or in small groups.
In 1982, she came back to the United States. A former dancer from New York City Ballet, Robert Weiss, hired her. He was the artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet. He made her a principal dancer. This was a very important moment in ballet history. It confirmed her as the first African-American woman to be a principal dancer in a major American ballet company.
Performances and Later Work
At the Pennsylvania Ballet, Austin performed in many famous ballets. These included Swan Lake, Coppélia, and Giselle. She also danced in a special show at the Academy of Music. The show was hosted by Bill Cosby and featured music by Grover Washington.
Austin also helped other choreographers. She assisted Lynne Taylor-Corbett with her ballet The Dancing Princesses. This ballet premiered in Washington, D.C., in 1995. She also helped judge for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts.
Debra Austin stopped dancing professionally in 1990. After that, she taught ballet at several schools. These included the Miami City Ballet School. In 1997, Robert Weiss started the Carolina Ballet. He hired Austin to be a ballet master for the company. She helps train and guide the dancers.
Debra Austin's Personal Life
Debra Austin married Marin Boieru in 1992. He is also a ballet dancer from Romania. They met while they were both dancing with the Pennsylvania Ballet. Today, both Debra and Marin work as ballet masters for the Carolina Ballet. They have two daughters named Olivia and Bianca.
