Westside Ballet to Honor NYCB Principal Andrew Veyette With Bravo! Award Following Retirement

Westside Ballet of Santa Monica will honor one of its most distinguished alumni, Andrew Veyette, with the prestigious Bravo! Award at its annual Spring Gala on Saturday, May 31, marking a homecoming for the New York City Ballet principal just days after his official retirement from the stage.

Veyette's farewell season at NYCB concluded Sunday May 25, ending an illustrious 25-year tenure with the company he first joined as an apprentice in 2000. Promoted to principal dancer in 2007, Veyette became a mainstay in Balanchine and Robbins repertory, known for his explosive virtuosity, musical clarity, and unflagging commitment to the art form.

His path to Lincoln Center began far from New York, in the suburban studios of Westside Ballet. Born in Denver and raised in California's Central Valley, Veyette was just nine years old when he began training in Visalia. By the time he reached his early teens, his mother was driving him and his brothers over 200 miles roundtrip to study at Westside Ballet under the tutelage of Yvonne Mounsey, Caprice Walker, and Nader Hamed. "She was loading us up in the car at like 4:30, 5 o'clock in the morning," Veyette recently recalled, "and then sitting there and waiting all day for us to do the thing we wanted to do. It's pretty remarkable."

The discipline and artistry instilled at Westside left a deep imprint. "Caprice [Walker] had this incredible gift of teaching you how to begin," Veyette shared in a recent tribute. "What it is to work hard and do things the right way from the beginning." That foundation set him on a trajectory to the School of American Ballet and ultimately NYCB, the company of his childhood dreams and of his mentor Mounsey, who danced under George Balanchine himself.

Throughout his career, Veyette remained conscious of that lineage. "I always hoped I was making Yvonne proud," he said. "She had a way of inspiring you to want to do your best. That stayed with me."

Known as a consummate partner, Veyette prioritized the needs of his colleagues onstage: "Job one is to take care of my partner and make sure they have their perfect show. Everything else comes after that." Former collaborators recall his consistency, generosity, and drive. "Any ballerina would feel very secure with Andrew," noted former Westside Ballet dance partner Megan Tice. "You see that attack and also the softness-he's an excellent partner."

His final season was marked by both celebration and reflection. In interviews with the New York Times and Playbill, Veyette spoke candidly about the injuries, highs, and emotional weight of retiring from a company that shaped his adult life. "It's hard to put into words how proud I am," he said, noting the particular resonance of closing his career in Robbins' "Glass Pieces"-a work he had performed early in his tenure and returned to for his farewell.

At Westside Ballet's Spring Gala, Veyette will be recognized not only for his professional accomplishments but for his enduring connection to the school that helped launch his career. "There's a certain flare and presence he has on stage that can't really be taught," said one former classmate, Mercedes Dorame. "But what always stood out was the joy in his movement-and his humility."

The Gala, titled Masters of Movement, will feature performances by City Ballet principals Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, along with pre-professional dancers from Westside Ballet and guest artists from the Los Angeles Ballet. It will also celebrate the bravery of local first responders and support families impacted by this year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires through the Fire Relief Scholarship Fund.

For Veyette, who has often emphasized mentorship and perseverance to younger dancers, the return to Westside represents a full-circle moment. "The dream for me had always been New York City Ballet," he said. "But it all started here."

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