Jock Soto facts for kids

Jock Soto (born 1965) is a famous American ballet dancer who is now a ballet teacher. He was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, one of the world's leading dance companies.

Jock Soto's Dance Career

Jock Soto performed in more than 40 different ballets. Over 35 of these dance pieces were specially created for him. This shows how talented and important he was in the ballet world.

Early Years and Joining New York City Ballet

While he was a student at the School of American Ballet (SAB), Jock Soto danced a special role. He played Luke in a ballet called The Magic Flute. This ballet was first made for SAB's student performances in 1981.

When The Magic Flute moved to the New York City Ballet, Jock Soto kept his role. He officially joined the New York City Ballet in 1981. His first performance as Luke with the company was in January 1982. He quickly moved up in the company. In 1984, he became a soloist. Just one year later, in 1985, he was promoted to a principal dancer. This is the highest rank a ballet dancer can achieve.

Memorable Performances and Farewell

Jock Soto also appeared in a movie. He danced the role of a parent in the 1993 film version of The Nutcracker. This movie was based on the New York City Ballet's own production.

He gave his final performance on Sunday, June 19, 2005. The show included parts from five different ballets. These included "Dance at the Gym" from Jerome Robbins' West Side Story Suite and sections from ballets by Peter Martins, Christopher Wheeldon, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and George Balanchine.

Teaching and Other Interests

Since 1996, Jock Soto has been a permanent teacher at the School of American Ballet. He teaches important classes like partnering and technique to students who are learning advanced ballet. Besides dancing and teaching, he has also explored cooking.

About Jock Soto's Life

Jock Soto was born in Gallup, New Mexico. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. His parents have backgrounds from Puerto Rico and the Navajo nation.

Films and Books

Jock Soto has been featured in films and has also written books.

Films

• The Nutcracker (1993)
• Water Flowing Together (2007), a documentary film about Jock Soto. This film won awards and was shown on PBS in April 2008.

Books

• "Every Step You Take" (2011), published by HarperCollins.
• "Our Meals" (a cookbook) which he wrote with Heather Watts.