Martins, Peter

Martins, Peter

(1946–  ) ballet dancer, choreographer; born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He trained at the School of the Royal Danish Ballet, and performed in its company (1965–69) before joining the New York City Ballet (1970). Key roles and a celebrated partnership with Suzanne Farrell propelled him to prominence as a dancer. He began choreographing with Calcium Light Night (1977); in 1983 he was appointed co-ballet master-in-chief with Jerome Robbins and retired from dancing. He became the sole master-in-chief in 1990. He choreographed several pieces a year, such as Songs of the Auvergne (1986). In 1993 he restaged Sleeping Beauty after Petipa and produced a much-acclaimed retrospective of George Balanchine's works.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.