Cynthia Gregory

Cynthia Kathleen Gregory (born July 8, 1946) is an American former prima ballerina.

Born in Los Angeles, Gregory’s parents encouraged her to take up dancing when she was five, hoping exercise would stem a history of childhood illnesses. By age six, she was en pointe. She first appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine at the age of seven.

Much of Gregory’s early training was with Carmelita Maracci. Awarded a Ford Foundation scholarship at age 14 to study with the San Francisco Ballet, she quickly rose to soloist and became shortly thereafter a principal dancer, while also dancing with the San Francisco Opera.

Gregory joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1965. In 1967, when ABT was on tour in San Francisco, Gregory made an auspicious debut as Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. Her New York debut in that role later the same year marked her emergence as a major ballerina. The role is one in which her performance is still recognized as definitive. Rudolf Nureyev called her "America's prima ballerina assoluta."

Gregory’s other lead roles include classical performances in Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Don Quixote, La Sylphide, as well as contemporary works including The Eternal Idol and At Midnight. At ABT alone, Gregory danced in over eighty works, including over a dozen created for her.

In 1986, Gregory was chosen to open the newly refurbished Paramount Theater in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, when it became the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.

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