Studio\Class
Newton
- Principal, Classical Ballet Program
Tamara King became Principal of the Newton Studio and the Summer Dance Program Newton in 2005. During her tenure, Newton has become the hub of the Classical Ballet Program, which offers a carefully constructed ten-level curriculum. King has also guided the studio toward establishing strong ties with the city of Newton, becoming an active leader in the Newton Cultural Alliance, and launching a partnership with Lasell College.
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, King began her training with Suzanne Johnston, Soili Arvola, and Leo Ahonen. Her association with Boston Ballet School actually began in 1981, when she studied with Violette Verdy, Helgi Tomasson, and Ivan Nagy as a Summer Dance Program scholarship recipient.
Later that year, she launched her professional career, joining Louisville Ballet and then accepting the invitation of Bruce Marks to become a member of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, UT. With Ballet West, she danced a variety of principal, soloist, and corps roles in such classics as The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and The Nutcracker. She also performed in Ashton’s The Dream and in Balanchine repertory including Symphony in C, Bugaku, and Western Symphony. From 1987 until her retirement in 1991, she again danced for Mr. Marks, this time as a member of Boston Ballet. She appeared in the celebrated “glasnost” Swan Lake, staged by Konstantin Sergeyev and Natalya Dudinskaya, and added other Balanchine ballets, including The Four Temperaments and Concert Barocco, to her repertoire.
King was invited to join the faculty and direct the Summer Dance Workshop at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in 1994. Under former BBS Director Rachel Moore, she returned to Boston Ballet School 2001 to teach on a full-time basis and, in 2003, to lead the Summer Dance Program. In addition to her teaching and leadership roles, King has regularly choreographed for the annual Spring Showcase, creating the programs Alice in Wonderland, Never, Neverland: The Adventures of Peter and Wendy, and Seasons.
