Information

Alexandrous Ballard

 

Alexandrous Ballard began his training in New Zealand under Val Deakin (Royal Ballet School, Dance Center, London). Upon moving back to the United States Mr. Ballard trained under Brynar Mehl, a principal performer with Merce Cunningham Dance Company. At age 15 Mr. Ballard moved to New York to study with Cecchetti Master Teacher Margaret Craske (Co-author of “The Theory and Practice of Advanced Allegro” with Ceril de Moroda). While pursuing his studies with Ms. Craske, he also trained with Christopher Lyall (Royal Ballet/Royal Danish Ballet), Sallie Wilson (American Ballet Theater) and Loren “Tex” Hightower (American Ballet Theater)
Additional training includes training at School of American Ballet, with Vladimir Doukodovsky and Nina Stragonova at Ballet Arts, The Joffrey Ballet School with Corey Winthrop and John Magnus and summers with the Paul Taylor Dance Company learning technique and repertory from Susan McGuire, Christopher Gillis and other company members.
As a performer Mr. Ballard began with New York Theater Ballet, a chamber company attached to The School of Classical Ballet in NYC where Margaret Craske spent her last years teaching. Upon her death and in his subsequent professional career Mr. Ballard performed principal and soloist roles with Delta Festival Ballet, Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, Ballet Royale de Wallonie in Belgium, Richmond Ballet and finished his career performing principal roles with Oregon Ballet Theater. He also appeared as a guest performer in Japan, Portugal and the UK.
In October/November of 1991 he danced opposite Rudolf Nureyev during Cleveland/San Jose Ballet’s European tour of Flemming Flindt’s “The OverCoat”. This tour also included performances of “Coppellia” and Dennis Nahat’s “Quicksilver”
During his career he has worked with many modern, classical, neo-classical and contemporary choreographers such as Bebe Miller, Flemming Flindt, Dennis Nahat, Karol Armitage, James Canfield, Paul Vasterling, Val Caniparoli, Christopher Gillis, Ruth Mayer, Enrique Martinez, Sallie Wilson, Matthew Nash, Donald Byrd, Charlie Moulton and Trey McIntyre.
He has performed soloist or principal roles in most of the standard repertory including multiple settings of the works of Petipa, Balanchine, Fokine, Ashton, Tudor, DeMille and Bournonville. As a performer his portrayal of the “Blue Boy” in Ashton’s “Les Patineurs” and “Albrecht” in “Giselle”, “Les Spectre de la Rose” “Napoli”, “Flower Festival at Genzano”, “Mercutio” in “Romeo and Juliet” as well as his long tenure as the Prince in various “Nutcrackers”, attracted much critical acclaim.
Mr. Ballard began teaching in the School of Oregon Ballet Theater under Haydee Gutierrez and James Canfield, teaching the boys classes and open, professional ballet. After retiring from principal roles in 2000, Mr. Ballard completed his 3 year certificate in the F.M. Alexander Technique and became a certified teacher under AmSat (American Society for the Alexander Technique). He has taught technique and RAD syllabus classes for the June Taylor School of Dance, Cecchetti syllabus and open professional level classes for the Giaccobbe Academy in New Orleans and in 2001 he founded a program for young men at The Portland Ballet, becoming a principal instructor there teaching Advanced Ballet, Pas de Duex, Mens classes and choreography. This program has graduated students into the Houston Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet West, The Alberta Ballet, Florida Ballet, Memphis Ballet, Kibbutz Contemporary Company in Israel, Joffrey Ballet and Universities including Juilliard, SUNY Purchase, University of Oregon and New York University.
He has served as a Ballet Master for the Portland Ballet and a guest Ballet Master for numerous smaller companies in and around Portland, Oregon, setting full length versions of “Cinderella”, “Coppellia”, “The Nutcracker”, “Napoli, 3rd Act”, “Les Sylphides”, “Flower Festival”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Alice in Wonderland” “Paquita” and “The Firebird” As a character dancer he has appeared in The Portland Ballet’s “La Boutique Fantasque” created by Balanchine protégé John Clifford, “The Firebird”, “The Nutcracker” and Coppellia”
In 2005 Mr. Ballard founded The Bouand Dancecompany to provide an outlet for his exploration of European-style contemporary ballet, producing or commissioning over 25 works from choreographers such as Rachel Tess (Cullberg Ballet), James Gnam (Plastic Orchid Factory and Ballet British Columbia), Deanna Carter (La Scala), Walter Kennedy (Bela Lewitzky Company), Jason Ohlberg (Same Planet, Different World) and Davy Brun (Lyon Opera Ballet)
His company was featured on Oregon Public Television in a 1-hour documentary program about the creation of his work “SideShow” with local Portland musicians 3 Leg Torso.
Mr. Ballard has been hailed as a “master teacher” by Dancemagazine and has been invited to teach graduate courses in Ballet technique at University of Oregon and University of Iowa, and as well as holding a position as Adjunct Professor of Dance at Portland State University.
In addition to his teaching, choreographing and performing, Mr. Ballard holds a 2nd Dan in Aikikai-style Aikido, training under Yoko Okamoto Sensei and Chris Mulligan Sensei.
In 2011 he became the Ballet Master for Canada’s 2nd largest Ballet Company, The Alberta Ballet under Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maitre. As well as assisting in the setting and rehearsing of the full repertory, he has performed in Kirk Petersons “Swan Lake” and “Othello”, Edmund Stripe’s “Nutcracker” and his first work for the company “Ruin Time” for the One Yellow Rabbit’s “High Performance Rodeo”, was performed in January of 2013.
As of 2013/2014 Mr. Ballard continues in his position as Ballet Master for the Alberta Ballet, appearing as a character artist in Jean Grand-Maitre’s “Cinderella” and Stanton Welch’s “Madam Butterfly” In addition he premiered another work for the company “The Precise Nature of the Catastrophe” which was performed in Calgary and Edmonton in conjunction with a revival of his work “ruin/time”

In May of 2014 Mr Ballard stepped down from his position at The Alberta Ballet and is now returned to reside in Portland, Oregon.

Currently Mr. Ballard has built a clientele for his Gyrotonic/Alexander Technique practice in Hillsdale, Oregon and most recently Choreographed “Die Fledermaus” for Portland State University.

Contact Information:

Alexandrous Ballard, 8285 SW Canyon Lane , Portland Oregon 97225

Phone: 971-271-2831  Email: alexandrousballard@gmail.com

 

In Performance: