Pennsylvania Ballet Promotes Soloist Alexander Peters to Principal Dancer

Philadelphia, PA (June 1, 2015) - Pennsylvania Ballet and Artistic Director Angel Corella are pleased to announce that Soloist Alexander Peters has been promoted to Principal Dancer, the highest rank in the Company, for the 2015-2016 Season.

"This Season I challenged Alexander Peters with roles that included the Prodigal Son, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and a sailor in Fancy Free," said Corella. "He not only showed his maturity when taking on the challenging roles, but also demonstrated his impeccable technique and exuberant artistry."

A Pennsylvania native, Alexander Peters began his training at Nicole Swope's Centre Dance of State College. He continued his training at Deborah Anthony's Allegheny Ballet Academy before being accepted to The School of American Ballet in the Summer of 2006 where he attended until 2010. Mr. Peters spent a year with Kansas City Ballet before performing with Pennsylvania Ballet as a guest artist in Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée in 2011. In November of 2011 he joined the Company as an Apprentice, was promoted to Corps de Ballet in April 2012 and Soloist in June 2014.

This Season, The New York Times included him as one of the Top Male Performances of 2014 for his role in Trey McIntyre's The Accidental and noted that he "brings complexity to the world onstage," in his performance in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. The Philadelphia Inquirer also lauded Mr. Peters in his recent role in Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free as "beginning to resemble a redheaded Corella, catching air with his jumps."

Mr. Peters has also performed feature roles in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™ (Cavalier, Tea, and Candy Cane), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck and Oberon), Jewels (Rubies), Twyla Tharp's Push Comes to Shove, Matthew Neenan's 11:11 (Poses), Trey McIntyre's Peter Pan (Peter Pan), Robbins' N.Y Export: Opus Jazz (Statics), Ji?í Kylián's Petite Mort, and Giselle (Peasant Pas de Deux). He has originated featured roles in Neenan's beside them, they dwell and La Chasse, and McIntyre's The Accidental.

Mr. Peters can next be seen on stage with Pennsylvania Ballet in Nicolo Fonte's world premiere and William Forsythe's The Second Detail, June 11-14 at the Merriam Theater.

About Pennsylvania Ballet

Founded in 1963 by Balanchine student and protégée Barbara Weisberger, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the nation's leading ballet companies. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Company's annual local season features six programs of classic favorites and new works, including the Philadelphia holiday tradition, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™. For more information, visit www.paballet.org, call 215.551.7000 or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to go behind the scenes at any time.