June 29, 2018
Zhong-Jing Fang, Catherine Hurlin and Katherine Williams Promoted to Soloist with ABT
Zhong-Jing Fang, Catherine Hurlin and Katherine Williams have been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre. The promotions, announced today by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, become effective September 1, 2018.
Zhong-Jing Fang was born in Shanghai, China and received her early training at the Shanghai Ballet School. She graduated from the Performing Arts College of Shanghai Drama University prior to joining the ABT Studio Company in 2002. Fang joined ABT as an apprentice in 2003 and became a member of the corps de ballet in 2004. Her roles with the Company include Aya, Lead D’Jampé and a Shades soloist in La Bayadère, Twig in Cinderella, Prayer in Coppélia, Zulma in Giselle, Old Mother in The Green Table, Nanny, Sugar Plum Fairy and one of the Nutcracker’s sisters in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Lady Montague, Rosaline’s Friend and a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, Canari qui chante in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Hungarian Princess, Lead Czardas, a big Swan and the pas de trois in Swan Lake, the Prelude in Les Sylphides, Diana and Ceres in Sylvia, Mademoiselle Marianne Chartreuse in Whipped Cream, Mercedes in Don Quixote and roles in AfterEffect, Black Tuesday, Continuo, Kaleidoscope, Sinfonietta, Songs of Bukovina and Symphonic Variations. She created a leading role in Pretty Good Year.
Catherine Hurlin was born in New York City and began her dance training at Scarsdale Ballet Studio and Westchester Dance Academy. She won the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix and received a full scholarship to study at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Hurlin performed the role of Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for three years. She joined the ABT Studio Company in 2012, became an apprentice with the main company in 2013 and a member of ABT’s corps de ballet in 2014. Her repertoire with the Company includes Lead D’Jampé and a Shades soloist in La Bayadère, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a Flower Girl in Don Quixote, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, the pas de trois and a big Swan in Swan Lake, the Maiden in Firebird and roles in AfterEffect, AFTERITE, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Company B, Her Notes, I Feel The Earth Move, Songs of Bukovina and Thirteen Diversions. She created Mademoiselle Marianne Chartreuse in Whipped Cream and a role in Mark Morris’ After You.
Katherine Williams was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and began her early training with the Hawaii State Ballet. She studied at the Ballet Royal Institute in Baltimore and at ABT and Boston Ballet Summer Dance programs before joining the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2005. She joined the ABT Studio Company in January 2007, became an apprentice with the main company in December 2007 and a member of ABT’s corps de ballet in June 2008. Her repertoire with the Company includes a Shades soloist in La Bayadère, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a Flower Girl and Driad Queen in Don Quixote, peasant pas de deux, Moyna and Myrta in Giselle, Spanish Dance and one of the Nutcracker’s Sisters in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, the Fairy Violente, Gold Fairy and Cinderella in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois, a big Swan and Italian Princess in Swan Lake and roles in Airs, Company B, Continuo, Her Notes, In the Upper Room and Jardin aux Lilas. Williams created roles in AfterEffect, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once and Songs of Bukovina.
American Ballet Theatre’s Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 7, 2018. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org.