July 1, 2016
Jeffrey Cirio Promoted to Principal Dancer and Blaine Hoven Promoted to Soloist with ABT
Jeffrey Cirio has been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and Blaine Hoven has been promoted to Soloist. The promotions, announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, become effective August 1, 2016.
Jeffrey Cirio joined American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in August 2015. Cirio began his ballet training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. He became a trainee with Boston Ballet School and joined Boston Ballet II for the 2007-2008 season. He continued his training at Orlando Ballet School and returned to Boston Ballet in 2009 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2010, to soloist in 2011 and was appointed principal dancer with Boston Ballet in 2012. Cirio’s repertory with Boston Ballet included Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, The Prince in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the Bronze Idol and Solor in La Bayadère, Oberon and Puck in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Mercutio and Benvolio in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, a Sailor in Fancy Free and roles in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Harlequinade, Ballo della Regina, Symphony in Three Movements, The Four Temperaments, Symphony in C, Tarantella and Diamonds and Rubies pas de deux in Jewels, Wayne McGregor’s Chroma and Christopher WheeldonR#8217;s Polyphonia. Cirio originated the principal roles in Jorma Elo’s Awake Only and Elo Experience. For Boston Ballet, Cirio choreographed Trial in 2014 and fremd in 2015. As a Soloist with ABT, Cirio’s repertory includes His Hope in Marcelo Gomes’ AfterEffect, Chinese and Russian Dances in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Bluebird in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Eros in Ashton’s Sylvia and Colas in La Fille mal gardée, and leading roles in Paul Taylor’s Company B and Ratmansky’s Chamber Symphony and Serenade After Plato’s Symposium. He created a role in Mark Morris’ After You. Cirio won a gold medal at Youth America Grand Prix in 2005, a Princess Grace Fellowship and a gold medal at the Helskini International Ballet Competition in 2009.
Blaine Hoven was born in Mobile, Alabama and began his training at Mobile Ballet under the direction of Winthrop Corey and Ann Duke. He trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts with Melissa Hayden, Warren Conover, Fanchon Cordell, Nina Danilova and Susan McKee McCollough. Hoven attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive for five years and received ABT’s National Training Scholarship from 1999 through 2002.
Hoven joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in 2003 and the main Company in 2004. His repertory with the Company includes the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, the Ballet Dancer in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Bright Stream, Bottom in Frederick Ashton’s The Dream, Benvolio in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, Benno in Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake, Lensky in John Cranko’s Onegin, the Standard Bearer in Kurt Jooss’ The Green Table and roles in Airs, After You, Twyla Tharp’s Bach Partita, Baker’s Dozen, Brief Fling and In the Upper Room, Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, Christopher Wheeldon’s Thirteen Diversions and Jiří Kylián’s Sinfonietta. He created the Spanish Dance in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker and roles in AfterEffect and Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once. Hoven was a recipient of the 2008 Princess Grace Award and the specially designated, Chris Hellman Dance Award.
American Ballet Theatre’s Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 2, 2016. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org.