Cynthia Harvey

Cynthia Harvey’s style marked her as one of the most versatile and valued artists. Ms Harvey danced virtually every ballerina role with American Ballet Theatre and also had the distinction of being invited by Sir Anthony Dowell to be a principal ballerina of the Royal Ballet – the first American dancer to have that honour. Harvey performed as guest artist with Baryshnikov and Company, Nureyev and Friends and numerous, internationally renowned, ballet companies before retiring in 1996.

On DVD, Ms Harvey appears in the title role of Kitri opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov in his production of Kitri’s Wedding, Don Quixote, in variations from Paquita and Les Sylphides, (American Ballet Theatre dances Petipa) and she appears in Natalia Makarova’s documentary, Ballerina. She featured in director Christopher Nupen’s Channel 4 film titled Tchaikovsky’s Women and is also a featured artist in the Fred Weismann documentary on The American Ballet Theatre. She has also co-authored, Physics and the Pas de Deux.

Ms Harvey helped to re-stage The Sleeping Beauty for The Norwegian National Ballet Company and in 2009 she staged her own complete production of the ballet Giselle for that company to great acclaim. Ms Harvey’s production of Giselle was taken into the repertoire of The Finnish National Ballet Company in 2018. In October 2010, she staged her own full-length production of The Sleeping Beauty for The Hong Kong Ballet and in 2014  staged a full-length Don Quixote for Singapore Dance Theatre, which was named as one of the year’s best productions by Dance Europe.

Prior to Ms Harvey’s appointment in 2016 as Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Ms. Harvey was in demand as a guest teacher and repetiteur. She has taught for The Australian Ballet, Teatro alla Scala in Milano, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Finnish National Ballet, and has been a regular guest at the Semperoper Ballett, Dresden, and The Zurich Ballett. She taught periodically at The Royal Ballet School in London as well as the School for the Basel Ballet, and was Principal Guest teacher for the English National Ballet School. As a sought-after teacher and jury member, Miss Harvey has served as coach, teacher and President of the jury for The Prix de Lausanne, where she now co-hosts the ARTE and Mediaprofil livestream. She served on the jury for The Rosetta Mauri Competition, the First International Competition in Sitges, Spain and Dance World Cup Spain as well as the Tanszolymp in Berlin, Germany and the Youth America Grand Prix.

Miss Harvey has been on the board of DanceEast, the national agency for dance in England and was a prominent member of the committee that saw major ballet directors and ballet school directors from around the world gather to discuss issues relating to improving life for ballet companies and schools. She stepped down as the standards assessor for The Council for Dance Education and Training in the U.K. in 2010.  She is a member of the International Council of Dance.  Ms Harvey retired as the Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum and JKO School in May 2022.

In 2021 Ms Harvey formed To the Pointe, International dance consultants, LLP, with David McAllister and Madeleine Onne, to help dance companies  evolve to find, recruit and mentor, suitable leaders with vision and skill to help build and support the art form.

Harvey was the recipient of the Cultural Award for contributions to the culture of Brazil in 2019 and the W!SE award for Inspiration and leadership in the Arts in 2022. She will receive the Artistic Award for Excellence and Extraordinary Career in May 2023 from Dance Open America.