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Ethan Stiefel (born 1973 in Tyrone, Pennsylvania^{[citation needed]}) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

Contents 1 Biography 2 Career 3 Trivia 4 References 5 External links

An only son of a Lutheran minister who became a prison warden in New York, Stiefel began ballet training in Madison, Wisconsin at age eight. He studied for two years at the Milwaukee Ballet School and at the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet before moving to New York City to attend ABT's School of Classical Ballet and School of American Ballet on scholarship.^[1]

At age 16, he joined the corps de ballet of the New York City Ballet. While there, Stanley Williams enrolled him in the company's men's special class where he trained alongside Nureyev, Baryshnikov and Bujones.^[2] In 1992, he took a leave of absence to perform with the Zurich Ballet and returned to the NYC Ballet company one year later as a soloist. By 1995, he was a principal dancer with the company. He ended his tenure with the NYC Ballet in April 1997 when he joined ABT as a principal dancer, where he remains today.^[3] His dance repertoire includes all key romantic roles in both classical and contemporary ballet.^{[citation needed]}

Stiefel won a silver medal at the Prix de Lausanne in 1989 and was also the recipient of a Princess Grace Foundation-USA grant in 1991. In 1998, Stiefel was nominated for the Benois de la Danse Award as one of the rising stars in ballet.^[4]

In 2000, Stiefel starred in the film Center Stage, directed by Nicholas Hytner with original choreography by Susan Stroman.^[5]

In late 2004, Ballet Pacifica, based in Irvine, California, named Stiefel its artistic director as part of a wider plan to relaunch as a higher-profile ballet company. In conjunction, Stiefel announced plans for tours, a larger permanent ensemble of experienced dancers, a longer season and performances of George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. However, after the company failed to raise the USD$6.5 million necessary to realize Stiefel's plans, its executive director resigned followed by Stiefel in April 2006.^[6]

In 2007, Stiefel made his debut with the Australian Ballet Company in the heritage ballet, Don Quixote, for the Melbourne and Sydney seasons, in the role of Basilio.^[7]

• Last name is pronounced "Shtee-full" and is German for "boot."^[8]
• Currently dating Gillian Murphy, a fellow ABT principal dancer.^[9]
• Is an avid motorcyclist. He grew up riding dirt bikes, currently owns a Harley-Davidson Wide Glide and once drove 5600 kilometres across the north-eastern US with girlfriend Gillian Murphy riding pillion^[10]
• Is a Green Bay Packers fan.^{[citation needed]}
• In 2004, created a four-week workshop for aspiring dancers where dance students train and perform with professional ballet dancers. It is held annually on Martha's Vineyard in the month of August. The program accepts students aged 12 to 18. Its rollcall of star guest teachers include Stiefel, Johan Kobborg, Amanda McKerrow, and Alina Cojocaru.^[11][12]
• Danced with the short-lived Mikhail Baryshnikov School of Classical Ballet at ABT.^[13]
• There is a Center Stage subplot in which Stiefel's character garners the financial support of a flirtatious female philanthropist (played by Elizabeth Hubbard). ^[14]A New York Times article entitled "How Much Is That Dancer in the Program?" revealed that Stiefel has a similar real-life sponsorship relationship with wealthy philanthropist Anka Palitz.^[15]

• Official Bio at ABT Website
• Ethan Stiefel at the Internet Movie Database
• 11 May 2000 CNN interview
• 19 October 2003 Boston Globe detailed profile
• Abstract of 15 August 2004 New York Times article about Stiefel's sponsorship
• 27 March 2006 article about Stiefel's involvement with Ballet Pacifica
• 15 April 2006 New York Times article
• 29 January 2007 Sydney Morning Herald article