Heather Watts
Encyclopedia
Heather Watts was a principal dancer with New York City Ballet
. A native of California, Ms. Watts was born as Linda Heather Watts in Long Beach on September 27, 1953. She started taking up ballet
at the age of 10, came to New York at the age of 13 on a Ford Foundation scholarship to attend the School of American Ballet
with Sheila Rozann, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Watts joined the New York City Ballet in 1970 and was promoted to principal dancer by company founder George Balanchine
in 1979. George Balanchine took Watts into his companies "because he would not let such a talent disappear." During Ms. Watts’s tenure with the company, she had numerous principal roles created for her by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins
, and Peter Martins
among others. Mr. Balanchine gave Ms. Watts the principal roles in many of his existing masterpieces, including Agon
, Concerto Barocco, Apollo
, Symphony in C, Theme and Variations
and Serenade
. Ms. Watts performed around the world and starred in numerous Dance in America television programs, and she performed opposite frequent partner Mikhail Baryshnikov
at the White House in a national televised performance of Balanchine's Rubies for President and Mrs. Carter
. Ms. Watts retired from the stage in a gala performance at Lincoln Center in 1995.
In addition to her dancing career, Ms. Watts was director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs from 1982 to 1994, where she administered a ballet school for gifted children. Ms. Watts has directed many national and international dance touring companies, including a tour entitled “Homage a Balanchine” of 108 cities for Columbia Artists, and she has rehearsed and staged ballets around the world. She has also designed costumes for new ballets at the New York City Ballet, as well as for Off-Broadway productions. Ms. Watts was a founding board member of Gods Love We Deliver and also served on the board of Friends In Deed
, both services for persons living with AIDS—she was among the first artists to join the fight against AIDS in the mid-1980's. She is the co-author, with Jock Soto, of Our Meals: Making a Home for Family and Friends (Riverhead, 1997). Among the many awards that Ms. Watts has received are the Dance Magazine Award, the L’Oreal Shining Star Award, the Lions of the Performing Arts Award from the New York Public Library, and various state awards for education. She has appeared on the Charlie Rose
Show, Good Morning America
, and the CBS Morning News
among other programs. Ms. Watts has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and currently serves on the Artists Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, and on the selection committee for the Bessie Awards 2011 in New York City.
Ms. Watts has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair
magazine since 1995. She currently covers arts and culture for the magazine, and is the photographer Bruce Weber’s editor. She has also written articles for Vanity Fair, as well as Italian Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue, and Dance Magazine
among other publications.
Ms. Watts also taught academic courses in 2006 and 2007 on Balanchine’s life and work at Harvard University as a Visiting Lecturer. For her work at Harvard, Ms. Watts received two Derek Bok awards for distinguished teaching.
Ms. Watts has been married to Damian Woetzel
since 1999.
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
. A native of California, Ms. Watts was born as Linda Heather Watts in Long Beach on September 27, 1953. She started taking up ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
at the age of 10, came to New York at the age of 13 on a Ford Foundation scholarship to attend the School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
with Sheila Rozann, the official school of the New York City Ballet. Watts joined the New York City Ballet in 1970 and was promoted to principal dancer by company founder George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
in 1979. George Balanchine took Watts into his companies "because he would not let such a talent disappear." During Ms. Watts’s tenure with the company, she had numerous principal roles created for her by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
, and Peter Martins
Peter Martins
Peter Martins is a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was named man of the year by Danish American Society, 1980...
among others. Mr. Balanchine gave Ms. Watts the principal roles in many of his existing masterpieces, including Agon
Agon (ballet)
Agon is a ballet for twelve dancers, with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. Composition began in December 1953 and concluded in April 1957; the music was first performed on June 17, 1957 in Los Angeles conducted by Robert Craft, while the first stage performance was...
, Concerto Barocco, Apollo
Apollo (ballet)
Apollo is a ballet in two tableaux composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky. It was choreographed by balletmaster George Balanchine in 1928, the composer contributing the libretto...
, Symphony in C, Theme and Variations
Theme and Variations (ballet)
Theme and Variations is a ballet by George Balanchine to the final movement of Tschaikovsky's Suite No. 3 for Orchestra in G major, Op. 55 . The premiere took place November 26, 1947, with Ballet Theatre at City Center of Music and Drama. Theme and Variations was conceived specially for Alicia...
and Serenade
Serenade (ballet)
Serenade is a ballet by George Balanchine, subsequently co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet, to Tschaikovsky's 1880 Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48...
. Ms. Watts performed around the world and starred in numerous Dance in America television programs, and she performed opposite frequent partner Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
at the White House in a national televised performance of Balanchine's Rubies for President and Mrs. Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. Ms. Watts retired from the stage in a gala performance at Lincoln Center in 1995.
In addition to her dancing career, Ms. Watts was director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs from 1982 to 1994, where she administered a ballet school for gifted children. Ms. Watts has directed many national and international dance touring companies, including a tour entitled “Homage a Balanchine” of 108 cities for Columbia Artists, and she has rehearsed and staged ballets around the world. She has also designed costumes for new ballets at the New York City Ballet, as well as for Off-Broadway productions. Ms. Watts was a founding board member of Gods Love We Deliver and also served on the board of Friends In Deed
Friends In Deed
Friends In Deed is a non-profit organization in New York City, founded in 1991 by Cynthia O'Neal and Mike Nichols as a response to the growing AIDS crisis...
, both services for persons living with AIDS—she was among the first artists to join the fight against AIDS in the mid-1980's. She is the co-author, with Jock Soto, of Our Meals: Making a Home for Family and Friends (Riverhead, 1997). Among the many awards that Ms. Watts has received are the Dance Magazine Award, the L’Oreal Shining Star Award, the Lions of the Performing Arts Award from the New York Public Library, and various state awards for education. She has appeared on the Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
Show, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, and the CBS Morning News
CBS Morning News
For CBS's main morning news program, formerly known as CBS Morning News, see The Early Show.CBS Morning News is the half-hour daily television broadcast from CBS News that airs following Up to the Minute and features late-breaking news stories, weather forecasts, and sports scores...
among other programs. Ms. Watts has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and currently serves on the Artists Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors, and on the selection committee for the Bessie Awards 2011 in New York City.
Ms. Watts has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine since 1995. She currently covers arts and culture for the magazine, and is the photographer Bruce Weber’s editor. She has also written articles for Vanity Fair, as well as Italian Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue, and Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
among other publications.
Ms. Watts also taught academic courses in 2006 and 2007 on Balanchine’s life and work at Harvard University as a Visiting Lecturer. For her work at Harvard, Ms. Watts received two Derek Bok awards for distinguished teaching.
Ms. Watts has been married to Damian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel, former ballet star, is a producer and director of dance and music performances. Among his recent projects was directing the first performance of the White House Dance Series in September 2010, which took place in the East Room of the White House and was hosted by First Lady Michelle...
since 1999.
Sources
- A Prima Ballerina Takes a Final Bow - The New York Times
- Heather Watts, An Unlikely Swan, In Her Final Song - The New York Times
- Heather Watts on The Charlie Rose Show
- Jeté Propelled: Stars and Students Mingle at the Harvard Dance Center - Harvard Magazine