Debra Austin (dancer)
| Debra Austin | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 25, 1955 |
| Residence |
Raleigh, North Carolina United States |
| Education |
Professional Children's School School of American Ballet |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, Ballet master |
| Spouse(s) | Marin Boieru (1992-present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Former groups |
New York City Ballet Zurich Ballet Pennsylvania Ballet |
Debra Austin (born July 25, 1955) is an American ballet dancer who rose to prominence in 1982 as the first African-American female principal dancer of a major American ballet company. She was also the first African-American female dancer at the New York City Ballet. She currently serves as the ballet mistress for the Carolina Ballet.
Debra Austin began dancing when she was eight years old. At the age of twelve, she was awarded a scholarship to dance at the School of American Ballet in New York City. While a dance student at the School of American Ballet, she attended the Professional Children's School for academics. She was handpicked by George Balanchine at age sixteen to join the New York City Ballet, officially becoming the company's first African-American female dancer at age nineteen. Austin appeared in performances that were televised for the PBS series Live from Lincoln Center and the NBC television special Live From Studio H. She later left the New York City Ballet to dance for the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland, where she was promoted to soloist.
After returning to the United States in 1982, she was hired by her former fellow dancer at New York City Ballet, Robert Weiss, then the artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, to be a principal dancer for the company, making her the first African-American woman to reach the rank of principal dancer in a major American ballet company. This was eight years before Lauren Anderson became a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet, even though she is commonly incorrectly accredited as being the first. At the Pennsylvania Ballet, Austin danced in Swan Lake, Coppélia, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Apollo, Symphony in C, Giselle, and La Sylphide. She danced at a Gala Performance at the Academy of Music, hosted by Bill Cosby, while accompanied by Grover Washington on the saxophone.
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