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New York City Ballet (NYCB) has introduced that three of the Company’s corps de ballet members — Olivia MacKinnon, Alexa Maxwell and KJ Takahashi — have been promoted to the rank of Soloist.
The promotions had been made by NYCB Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, following a day of rehearsals because the Company prepares for its 2023 Spring Season, which opens on April 18, and runs for six weeks by way of May 28, with all performances going down on the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Olivia MacKinnon
In current seasons, MacKinnon has debuted in featured roles in George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony, Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty (Fairy of Courage and Emerald), Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes and Jerome Robbins’ Rondo, and returned to a featured position in Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations. Since becoming a member of NYCB, she has carried out featured roles in a variety of repertory by Balanchine, Martins, Peck and Robbins, and originated roles in works by Warren Carlyle, Lauren Lovette, Peck and Gianna Reisen.
Born in Mobile, Alabama, MacKinnon started her dance coaching on the age of three on the Mobile Ballet, and carried out with Mobile Ballet’s Company as a pupil. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, MacKinnon attended summer time periods on the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official college of NYCB, and enrolled as a full-time pupil in fall of 2010. She turned an apprentice with NYCB in 2012, and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2013.
Alexa Maxwell
In current seasons, Maxwell has debuted in featured roles in Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes and Robbins’ Fancy Free, and returned to featured roles in Balanchine’s La Sonnambula, Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty (Ruby and Fairy of Courage), Alexei Ratmansky’s Voices and Robbins’ The Cage. In addition, she originated a featured position in Kyle Abraham’s 2022 Fall Fashion Gala premiere Love Letter (on shuffle). Since becoming a member of NYCB, Maxwell has carried out featured roles in works by Balanchine, Martins, Peck, Ratmansky, Robbins and Jamar Roberts, and originated roles in works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Peck, Ratmansky and Troy Schumacher.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Maxwell started her dance coaching on the age of 4 at Deanne’s Dance Studio. She studied dance at different colleges earlier than enrolling on the Minnesota Dance Theatre for 2 years, the place her lecturers included Lise Houlton and NYCB alumna Gloria Govrin. In 2009, she started coaching at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet learning beneath Marcia Dale Weary. In 2012, Maxwell attended a summer time session at SAB and enrolled as a full-time pupil later that 12 months. Maxwell turned an apprentice with NYCB in 2012, and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2013.
KJ Takahashi
In current seasons Takahashi has debuted in featured roles in Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty (Court Jesters and Bluebird), Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes, Partita and Scherzo Fantastique, Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH, and Robbins’ The Four Seasons. In addition, he originated featured roles in Reisen’s 2022 Fall Fashion Gala premiere Play Time and Keerati Jinakunwiphat’s Winter 2023 premiere Fortuitous Ash. Most lately in the course of the Company’s tour to the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, Takahashi debuted in Peck’s The Times Are Racing within the position originated by Peck in 2017. Takahashi’s repertory at NYCB features a vary of different works by Balanchine, Abraham, Sidra Bell, Lauren Lovette and Peck.
Takahashi was born in Dallas, Texas, and commenced his ballet coaching on the age of eight at Ballet Academy of Texas beneath the course of Lisa Slagle. In 2014, he studied ballet at Mejia Ballet International beneath the course of Paul Mejia and in 2015, he started coaching at Ballet Tech beneath the course of Eliot Feld. He entered SAB in 2016, and acquired extra coaching at summer time programs on the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Takahashi was named an apprentice with NYCB in 2019, and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2021. He is the 2022-2023 recipient of the Janice Levin Award, which is bestowed yearly on a promising member of NYCB’s corps de ballet.
NYCB’s 2023 Spring Season runs from April 18 to May 28. For tickets and extra data, go to www.nycballet.com.
