Villella, Edward
Villella, Edward,
1936–, American ballet dancer, b. Long Island, N.Y. Villella studied at George BalanchineBalanchine, George, 1904–83, American choreographer and ballet dancer, b. St. Petersburg, Russia, as Georgi Balanchivadze. The son of a Georgian composer and a Russian mother, Balanchine attended (1913–21) the Imperial Ballet School, St.
..... Click the link for more information. 's School of American Ballet, joining the New York City BalletNew York City Ballet
(NYCB), one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th and 21st cents. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1957. He soon became a principal dancer with a large repertoire of roles, most notably The Prodigal Son. Villella's dancing was remarkable for its tremendous vigor and dynamic style. He served as artistic coordinator of the Eglevsky Ballet (1979–84) and as director of the Oklahoma Ballet (1983–85), then founded and directed (1985–2012) the Miami City Ballet, which became a major regional ensemble.