Aran Bell | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation | Ballet dancer |
Years active | 2014–present |
Career | |
Current group | American Ballet Theatre |
Aran Bell (born October 7, 1998) is an American ballet dancer. He was featured in the 2011 documentary First Position, and became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre at age 21.
Bell was born on October 7, 1998, in Bethesda, Maryland. [1] [2] As his father was a U.S. Navy doctor, Bell was homeschooled and lived in different parts of the country and in Naples, Italy. [3] Bell, who started ballet at age 4, trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for three years as well as with private teachers. [4] [3] He studied a variety of styles including the Vaganova method and Balanchine technique. [3] During the four and a half years Bell's father was stationed in Naples, Bell and his mother travelled to Rome six times a week to train with Denys Ganio, who had danced with Roland Petit's company. [3] He also studied under Fabrice Herrault in New York City, and was enrolled in American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive for several years. [4]
At age 11, Bell competed at the Youth America Grand Prix, where he won the overall prize in the junior division. [1] [5] He was one of six competitors profiled in the 2011 documentary First Position. [5] [1]
In 2014, at age 16, Bell joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, and stayed for a second year as a result of a growth spurt. He became an apprentice with the main company in 2016 and joined the corps de ballet the following year. [6] [7] In 2018, at age 19, Bell danced Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with principal dancer Devon Teuscher as Juliet, when the dancer scheduled to dance the role was injured. [7] The New York Times called his performance "an astonishingly impressive debut." [8] The following year, he represented ABT at the Erik Bruhn Prize with colleague Catherine Hurlin, [9] made his debut as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, and was promoted to soloist. [6] In 2020, though some of his major debuts were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bell was promoted to principal dancer at age 21, which was unusually young. [10]
Aran Bell | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation | Ballet dancer |
Years active | 2014–present |
Career | |
Current group | American Ballet Theatre |
Aran Bell (born October 7, 1998) is an American ballet dancer. He was featured in the 2011 documentary First Position, and became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre at age 21.
Bell was born on October 7, 1998, in Bethesda, Maryland. [1] [2] As his father was a U.S. Navy doctor, Bell was homeschooled and lived in different parts of the country and in Naples, Italy. [3] Bell, who started ballet at age 4, trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for three years as well as with private teachers. [4] [3] He studied a variety of styles including the Vaganova method and Balanchine technique. [3] During the four and a half years Bell's father was stationed in Naples, Bell and his mother travelled to Rome six times a week to train with Denys Ganio, who had danced with Roland Petit's company. [3] He also studied under Fabrice Herrault in New York City, and was enrolled in American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive for several years. [4]
At age 11, Bell competed at the Youth America Grand Prix, where he won the overall prize in the junior division. [1] [5] He was one of six competitors profiled in the 2011 documentary First Position. [5] [1]
In 2014, at age 16, Bell joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, and stayed for a second year as a result of a growth spurt. He became an apprentice with the main company in 2016 and joined the corps de ballet the following year. [6] [7] In 2018, at age 19, Bell danced Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with principal dancer Devon Teuscher as Juliet, when the dancer scheduled to dance the role was injured. [7] The New York Times called his performance "an astonishingly impressive debut." [8] The following year, he represented ABT at the Erik Bruhn Prize with colleague Catherine Hurlin, [9] made his debut as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, and was promoted to soloist. [6] In 2020, though some of his major debuts were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bell was promoted to principal dancer at age 21, which was unusually young. [10]