Eric Underwood (dancer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Underwood
Underwood with fellow dancer Melissa Hamilton in 2014
Born	1983/1984 (age 40–41) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Citizenship	American British
Education	School of American Ballet
Occupation	ballet dancer model actor
Former groups	Dance Theater of Harlem American Ballet Theatre The Royal Ballet

Eric Underwood is a talented ballet dancer, model, and actor from both America and Britain. He used to be a main dancer, called a soloist, with The Royal Ballet until 2017. He was one of the few black dancers in that famous company.

Growing Up

Eric Underwood was born in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in a less wealthy area of Maryland. He has two half-siblings from his father's side. Eric remembers that his neighborhood had some challenges, but he always felt "loved and appreciated at home." He also shared that police officers would visit his school. This helped students feel more comfortable and positive about the police.

Eric loved to dance at home when he was a child. However, he did not start formal dance lessons until he was 14 years old. His mother wanted him to study acting at a special arts school. She thought it would be a better path for him. But Eric got nervous during his acting audition. As he was leaving, he saw a ballet class. He asked the teacher if he could try it. He ended up training at the school as a ballet student. He was one of the few boys in the class.

A year later, Eric received a scholarship. This allowed him to train at the School of American Ballet in New York City. He was the only African-American student in his class there. He finished his training in 2000.

Dancing Career

After graduating, Eric Underwood joined the Dance Theater of Harlem. He quickly became a main dancer, or soloist, by the end of his first year. In 2003, he joined the American Ballet Theatre. Here, he and Misty Copeland were the only black dancers.

In 2006, Eric moved to London to join The Royal Ballet. He started as a First Artist. He had been noticed by the company during a tour in London. In his first year, he helped create new roles in ballets like Wayne McGregor's Chroma and Christopher Wheeldon's DGV: Danse à grande vitesse.

He was promoted to soloist in 2008. He continued to work with famous choreographers like Wheeldon and McGregor. He created roles in many productions, including Aeternum, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Infra, and Woolf Works. Eric also helped with The Royal Ballet's programs that reached out to the community. During his time with The Royal Ballet, he remained one of the few black dancers. Eric left the company in 2017.

In 2015, Eric posted a video online. It showed him putting makeup on his ballet shoes. At the time, ballet shoes mostly came in only pink and beige colors. He then worked with Bloch, a company that makes ballet shoes. Together, they created ballet shoes that matched the skin tones of dancers of color.

Other Work

In 2019, Eric Underwood played Admetus in the movie Cats. This film was based on the popular musical. He appeared in many dance scenes but did not have any speaking lines. He was also set to act in a play called Clybourne Park in London in 2020. However, the play's performances were delayed because of the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic. Eric Underwood also works as a model.

Ballet Roles

Eric Underwood has performed in many ballets with the American Ballet Theatre and The Royal Ballet. Some of his roles include:

Personal Life

Eric Underwood is now also a British citizen.