International Dance Competition

Cynthia Harvey, former Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre and Artistic
Director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School since 2016.

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Cynthia Harvey’s style marked her as one of the most versatile and valued artists. Ms Harvey danced
virtually every ballerina role with American Ballet Theatre and also had the distinction of being invited by
Sir Anthony Dowell to be a principal ballerina of the Royal Ballet-the first American dancer to have that
honor. Harvey performed as guest artist with Baryshnikov and Company, Nureyev and Friends and
numerous, internationally renowned, ballet companies before retiring in 1996.
On DVD, Ms Harvey appears in the title role of Kitri opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov in his production of Kitri’s
Wedding, Don Quixote , in variations from Paquita and Les Sylphides, (American Ballet Theatre dances
Petipa) and she appears in Natalia Makraova’s documentary, “Ballerina”. She featured in director,
Christopher Nupen, Channel 4 film titled, “Tchaikowsky’s Women” and is also a featured artist in the Fred
Weismann documentary on The American Ballet Theatre. She has also co-authored, Physics and the Pas
de Deux.
Ms Harvey helped to re-stage The Sleeping Beauty for The Norwegian National Ballet Company and in
2009 she staged her own complete production of the ballet Giselle for that company to great acclaim. Ms
Harvey’s production of Giselle was taken into the repertoire of The Finnish National Ballet Company in
2018.
In October 2010, the premiere of her own full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty for The Hong
Kong Ballet was well received, and in 2014 Ms Harvey staged a full-length Don Quixote for Singapore
Dance Theatre, which was named as one of the years’ best productions by Dance Europe.
Prior to Ms Harvey’s Appointment in 2016 as Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis School, Ms. Harvey was in demand as a guest teacher and ballet mistress. She has
taught for The Australian Ballet, Teatro alla Scala in Milano, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Finnish
National Ballet, and was a regular guest ballet mistress at the Semperöper Ballett, Dresden, and The
Zürich Ballett. She taught periodically at The Royal Ballet School in London as well as the School for the
Basel Ballet, and was Principal Guest teacher for the English National Ballet School.
As a sought-after teacher and jury member, Miss Harvey has served several competitions- amongst them,
coach, teacher and President of the jury for The Prix de Lausanne, and served on the jury for the following;
The Rosetta Mauri Competition, the First International Competition in Sitges, Spain and Dance World Cup
Spain as well as the Tanszolymp in Berlin, Germany and the Youth America Grand Prix.
Miss Harvey has been on the board of DanceEast, the national agency for dance in England and was a
prominent member of the committee that saw major ballet directors and ballet school directors from
around the world gather to discuss issues relating to improving life for ballet companies and schools. She
stepped down as the standards assessor for The Council for Dance Education and Training in the U.K. in
2010. She is a member of the International Council of Dance. Ms Harvey was the Artistic Director of
American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum until departing from the ABT JKO School in the
Spring of 2022.
Harvey was the recipient of the Cultural Award for contributions to the culture of Brazil in 2019, and in
2022, she was awarded the W!SE Inspirational Leadership Award for extraordinary contributions to ballet
as a guiding light for the arts.

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