Boston Ballet‘s Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen has announced that that Chyrstyn Fentroy has been promoted.
The ballerina who joined the company as an artist in 2017, quickly rose though the ranks – she became a second soloist in 2018, and to soloist in 2019. Now, just two years later, the California native has reached the highest title possible – Principal Dancer.
“Having joined Boston Ballet as a corps de ballet member, becoming a principal dancer is such a special achievement for me,” said Chyrstyn Fentroy. “This is a step that means I will be given opportunities that will challenge and push me as an artist, ultimately encouraging the continued growth I am always striving for. I can undoubtedly say that I have found my home here, and now with this promotion, I really get to enjoy this home to its fullest. I will forever be thankful to Boston Ballet for sharing with me the space to grow as a dancer, choreographer, a mentor, and, most importantly, a person. With this deepened sense of belonging, I look forward to inspiring future generations of artists from all types of social backgrounds to find their own homes within classical ballet.”
Highlights of Chyrstyn Fentroy's Repetoire at Boston Ballet
- George Balanchine’s The Prodigal Son (Siren), Agon (pas de deux), Coppélia (War and Discord, Dawn)
- William Forsythe’s Blake Works I, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Pas/Parts 2018, and Playlist (EP)
- Jorma Elo’s Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius
- Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Pas de Trois)
- Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Glass Pieces
- Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop, Arabian Coffee, Snow Queen)
- Paulo Arrais’ ELA Rhapsody in Blue
- Justin Peck’s In Creases.
Fentroy began her dance training with her mother, Ruth Fentroy, in Los Angeles.
As a scholarship student at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, she gained early touring experience with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group.
She then went on to perform as a principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem under Virginia Johnson, and during her five-year tenure with the company she had the opportunity to perform in Austria, Honduras, Italy, Israel, and Turkey.
Fentroy was featured on the January 2015 cover of Dance Magazine as one of the “25 to Watch,” and she received the Princess Grace Honoraria Award in dance in 2016. In 2018, she was recognized as one of WBUR’s “ARTery 25”, which recognizes influential artists of color in the Boston area.
Her recent creative collaborations include the development of the Color Our Future Mentorship Program at Boston Ballet, a choreographic film for Boston Ballet with film company Bear Walk at the Liberty Hotel, and a limited-edition shoe design with Rothy’s.
Featured Photo of Chyrstyn Fentroy in Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, photo by Brooke Trisolini; courtesy of Boston Ballet.
