International News – New Principal Dancer for Houston Ballet, USA

Angelo Greco as a Principal Dancer

Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet Artistic Directors Julie Kent and Stanton Welch AM proudly announce the addition of Angelo Greco as a Principal Dancer joining the Company in the upcoming 2024 – 2025 season.

Born in Sardinia, Italy, Greco grew up in Modena and then trained at Il Balletto di Castelfranco Veneto and then La Scala Ballet Academy in Milan before joining La Scala Ballet where he had a life contract. Honed on prestigious stages around the world, his experience and breadth of repertoire led him to follow his passion, arriving in the United States in 2016 where he danced as a soloist at San Francisco Ballet and was promptly promoted to principal in 2017.

“When I started thinking about my next move, my next adventure, I saw it right away when Stanton and Julie came together,” says Greco. “I’ve worked with both before [separately]. When we connected and they said they had an opening, right away I said yes!”

Numerous renowned choreographers have created works on Greco, including Yuri Possokhov’s Optimistic Tragedy, Helgi Tomasson’s Harmony, Dwight Rhoden’s LET’S BEGIN AT THE END,  Christopher Wheeldon’s Bound To, and Stanton Welch AM’s Bespoke. He has also performed principal and featured roles in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, and Maurice Béjart’s Gaîté Parisienne. Among his accolades, Greco has been the recipient of Dance Europe’s Outstanding Artistry Award in 2011 and 2012, and the Erik Bruhn Prize in 2016.

“Angelo Greco’s coming to Houston Ballet as Principal Dancer for the 2024 – 2025 season marks a very exciting addition to the Company. We eagerly anticipate the creative energy and artistry he will bring and we warmly welcome him to our Houston Ballet family.”Julie Kent and Stanton Welch AM, Artistic Directors.

“I enjoy seeing how the Company structures the season,” adds Greco. “I’m super excited to move to Texas!”

To learn more about Houston Ballet’s Company dancers, visit houstonballet.org.

ABOUT HOUSTON BALLET

With over 50 years of rich history, Houston Ballet has evolved into a company with a budget of $37.6 million and an endowment of $97.5 million (as of June 2023), making it the country’s fourth-largest ballet company. Its $46.6 million state-of-the-art performance space, the Houston Ballet Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance opened in April 2011. In addition, Houston Ballet’s reach is global, touring theaters in Dubai, London, Paris, Moscow, Spain, Montréal, Ottawa, Melbourne, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Tokyo and more.

Australian choreographer Stanton Welch AM has served as Artistic Director of Houston Ballet since 2003. Welch has choreographed 43 new works for Houston Ballet during his tenure while ensuring the growth of the Company’s repertoire by presenting works from George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, and Jerome Robbins. Welch continues the legacy of Houston Ballet being a choreographic Eden by commissioning over 30 works from world-renowned choreographers including Aszure Barton, Trey McIntyre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Justin Peck. Julie Kent joined Welch as Artistic Director in 2023, after serving as Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet from 2016 – 2023 and following a storied career as a Principal ballerina of American Ballet Theatre – the longest-tenured dancer in ABT’s 85-year history. Executive Director James Nelson serves as the administrative leader of the organization, a position he assumed in February 2012 after serving as the Company’s General Manager for more than a decade.

Beyond its stage presence, Houston Ballet maintains a strong foothold in continuing to foster a love for dance in future generations. Its Education and Community Engagement program reaches more than 85,000 individuals in the Houston area annually. Houston Ballet Academy trains more than 1,000 students every year, producing more than 60 percent of the extraordinary artists that comprise Houston Ballet’s current Company.

For more information on Houston Ballet, visit houstonballet.org

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