Miranda Weese facts for kids

Miranda Weese (born 1973 or 1974) is a talented American ballet dancer, teacher, and ballet master. She joined the famous New York City Ballet in 1993. By 1996, she became a principal dancer, which is a top role.

In 2007, she moved to the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She first performed as a guest, then joined as a principal dancer. She retired from performing in 2010. Later, in 2017, she started working with the Boston Ballet as a children's ballet master.

Miranda Weese's Early Life and Training

Miranda Weese was born in San Bernardino, California. She lived with her grandparents from a very young age. They later adopted her, and she calls them her parents. She grew up mostly in Orange County. She also spent a few years in La Puente.

Miranda started dancing when she was five years old. A doctor suggested it to help her with knock knees and other health issues. She trained with different teachers as she grew up. In 1990, at age fifteen, she attended a summer program. This was at the School of American Ballet, a very famous school. She was then invited to join the school full-time.

Becoming a Professional Dancer

In 1991, Miranda Weese became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet. This was just months after she started training at the School of American Ballet. The next year, she broke her foot. This meant she could not perform for five months.

When she returned, she watched videos of herself and other dancers. This helped her to improve her skills. In 1993, she officially joined the company as part of the corps de ballet. Her first important role was in Balanchine's Who Cares?.

Rising Through the Ranks

In 1994, Miranda was promoted to soloist. This meant she started to fill in for principal dancers when needed. One time, she performed in Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht Ballet after only one rehearsal! In 1995, she won the Princess Grace Award. This award helps young artists.

In 1996, just before her 21st birthday, Miranda became a principal dancer. She was the first woman to reach this top rank in the company since 1991. She performed in 25 ballets by George Balanchine. These included famous works like Theme and Variations and Apollo. She also danced as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.

She also performed in ballets by other famous choreographers. These included Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon. She even helped create new roles in some of their ballets.

Facing Challenges and Moving On

In 1999, Miranda performed in a televised show of Swan Lake. She had to step in at the last minute for another dancer who got hurt. She had never rehearsed with her partner for this show.

In late 2001, she had surgery on her hip. She was off stage for a whole year. During her recovery, she worked hard to get back in shape. She trained with her old teachers and fellow dancers. She returned to performing in early 2003.

In 2007, Miranda decided to leave the New York City Ballet. She joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. She liked that this company offered more time to prepare for her roles. She first joined as a guest artist. Then, she became a principal dancer. She retired from performing in 2010.

Life After Performing

After leaving the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miranda Weese moved to Saratoga, New York. She started teaching ballet and dance fitness. In 2017, she joined the Boston Ballet. There, she works as a children's ballet master. This means she helps train young dancers.