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Ballet Master: 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, moving to NYC at age 15 to study directly 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, Sallie Wilson and Loren “Tex” Hightower

Additional training includes studies at School of American Ballet, with Vladimir Doukodovsky and Nina Stragonova at Ballet Arts, The  Joffrey Ballet School and 3 summers with the Paul Taylor Dance Company learning technique and repertory.

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 finished her teaching 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 with Oregon Ballet Theater in Portland, Oregon.  He appeared as a guest artist in Japan, Portugal and the UK.

In October/November of 1991 he appeared with Rudolf Nureyev during Cleveland/San Jose Ballet’s European tour of Flemming Flindt’s “The OverCoat”, “Coppellia” and “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 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, 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 in his own productions of “Coppellia” and “Romeo and Juliet”.

In 2005 Mr. Ballard founded The Bouand Dance Company 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 Public Television in a 1-hour documentary program about the creation of his work “SideShow” with musicians 3 Leg Torso.

Mr. Ballard has been hailed as a “master teacher” by Dance Magazine writer and critic Martha Ullman West and has been invited to teach graduate courses in Ballet technique at University of Oregon and University of Iowa, and most recently held a position as Adjunct Professor of Dance at Portland State University.  

The 11/12 Season will be Mr. Ballard's first with Alberta Ballet as Ballet Master.