Peter Martins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Martins
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Martins at the opening night of the 2009 Metropolitan Opera
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| Born | 27 October 1946 Copenhagen, Denmark
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| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer |
| Spouse(s) | Darci Kistler (m. 1991) Lise la Cour (first marriage) |
| Children | Talicia Tove Martins Nilas Martins |
Peter Martins (born October 27, 1946) is a famous Danish former ballet dancer and choreographer. A choreographer is someone who creates dance routines. Martins was a top dancer, known as a principal dancer, with the Royal Danish Ballet and later with the New York City Ballet. He joined important ballet leaders like George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins at the New York City Ballet in 1981.
He stopped dancing in 1983, having reached the highest rank for a male dancer, called a danseur noble. After that, he became a co-leader of the New York City Ballet. From 1990 until January 2018, he was the main artistic leader of the New York City Ballet, guiding its performances and style.
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Early life and ballet beginnings
Peter Martins was born and grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father, Børge Martins, was an engineer, and his mother, Tove Christa Ornberg, was a pianist. His aunt and uncle, Leif and Elna Ornberg, were dancers with the Royal Danish Ballet. They started teaching him dance steps when he was just five years old.
When he was seven, his older sisters tried out for the Royal Ballet of Denmark but were not accepted. Peter was waiting and reading a comic book when he was asked to "point his foot." He did it very well and was accepted into the ballet school.
A career in dance
Martins began his official ballet training in 1953 with the Royal Danish Ballet. He joined the main group of dancers, called the corps de ballet, in 1965. By 1967, he was promoted to a soloist, meaning he performed important individual parts in ballets.
In 1970, Martins moved from Denmark to become a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet (NYCB). He had already performed with them as a guest dancer since 1967. Martins danced many different roles, but he is especially remembered for his lead role in Apollo and as the Cavalier in Balanchine's Nutcracker. In 1978, a documentary called Peter Martins: A Dancer was made about him. He often danced with another famous ballerina, Suzanne Farrell.
Martins stopped dancing in 1983. He then became a co-leader of the New York City Ballet alongside Jerome Robbins. In 1990, he became the sole artistic leader, known as the Balletmaster-in-Chief. He was chosen by George Balanchine, a very important figure in ballet, to take over. Martins also led the School of American Ballet, which trains most of the dancers for the New York City Ballet.
Creating new ballets
Peter Martins regularly created new ballets for both the Royal Danish Ballet and the New York City Ballet. His first ballet was Calcium Light Night, which premiered in 1977 and was well-received.
Some of his other ballets include Octet and Friandises. He also choreographed full-length ballets like The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Romeo + Juliet. Martins even choreographed the Barbie movies Barbie in the Nutcracker and Barbie of Swan Lake. In 2000, Martins helped start the New York Choreographic Institute, which supports new ballet creators.
Awards and achievements
Peter Martins has received many awards for his contributions to dance. In 1977, he received a Dance Magazine Award. He was also given the title of Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in Denmark in 1983. In 1984, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his choreography in "Great Performances: Dance in America."
He was nominated for a Tony Award in 1986 for Best Choreographer for the show Song & Dance. Martins is known for working with modern music composers, like John Adams. He wrote an autobiography called Far From Denmark, which was published in 1982. In 2008, Martins was honored by being inducted into the National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame.
Family life
Peter Martins was married to Lise la Cour, a ballerina he danced with in Denmark. They had a son named Nilas. Nilas later followed his father to New York City and also became a dancer with the New York City Ballet before he retired.
Martins later married Darci Kistler, who was also a principal ballerina with the New York City Ballet. They have a daughter named Talicia Tove Martins, born in 1996.
See also
In Spanish: Peter Martins para niños
