Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announces Jeffrey Cirio, corps de ballet dancer of Boston Ballet, as the recipient of a 2009 Princess Grace Foundation Award for dance. Jeffrey joins the ranks of other extremely gifted and promising artists in the areas of theater, dance and choreography, and film. The Awards continue the legacy of Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, who anonymously helped budding artists pursue their goals during her lifetime. Jeffrey and this year’s Award winners will receive their Awards at the annual black-tie Princess Grace Awards Gala, held in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, on October 21, 2009, in New York City.
“We are extremely proud of Jeffrey for this great honor,” said Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “Jeffrey is dancing with Boston Ballet for his first year in the company after a season with Boston Ballet II and training in Boston Ballet School. His journey as a dancer has just begun and we are thrilled to be a part of this exciting moment in his career. I think he is one of the most talented American dancers to surface in decades.”
Jeffrey Cirio began his ballet training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Cirio became a trainee with Boston Ballet School, performing with both the School and the Company. He traveled to Russia with Boston Ballet II to perform scenes from The Nutcracker and represented Boston Ballet School at the Tanzolymp Ballet Competition and Festival where he won a gold medal. He also participated in an exchange with Royal Danish Ballet, taking classes with the apprentices and company, culminating in a performance at Boston Ballet’s 2007 Night of Stars. He joined Boston Ballet II for the 2007-2008 season. Cirio then went on to train at Orlando Ballet School with Peter Stark and Olivier Munoz. Cirio returned to Boston Ballet in 2009 as a corps de ballet member.
Cirio has won numerous competitions and awards internationally. In 2006, he was awarded a gold medal in the New York finals of Youth America Grand Prix. He went on to win a bronze medal at the 2006 U.S. International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. His other awards include a silver level award in ballet at the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts 2009 Arts Week, the Grand Prix and Mary Day Award for Artistry at the 2009 Youth America Grand Prix, a gold medal at the 2009 Helsinki International Ballet Competition, and a gold medal at the 2009 World Ballet Competition. He is the brother of Boston Ballet soloist, Lia Cirio.
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a public charity, was formed after the death of Princess Grace in 1982. They award scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships to assist artists at the start of their careers. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than 650 Awards have been given to recipients, totaling more than $7 million.
For more information about Jeffrey, please visit:
http://www.bostonballet.org/Company_Dancers/Dancers/Jeffrey_Cirio.html.
Since 1963, Boston Ballet has been one of the leading dance companies in the world on stage, in the studio and in the community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Executive Director Barry Hughson, the Company maintains an internationally acclaimed repertoire and the largest ballet school in North America, Boston Ballet School.
Boston Ballet maintains a repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some of today's finest choreographers. Boston Ballet's second company, Boston Ballet II, is comprised of pre-professional dancers who gain experience by performing with the Company and independently, presenting lecture-demonstrations and special programs to audiences throughout the Northeast.
Boston Ballet School, the official school of Boston Ballet, has a long-standing dedication to excellence and access and reaches more than 10,000 students ages 2-adult each year through Boston Ballet School classes, Summer Dance Workshop, Summer Dance Program, Citydance, Taking Steps, and Adaptive Dance. The wide array of dance programs are held at four studio locations in Boston, Newton, Norwell and Marblehead, as well as community centers and in Boston Public Schools.
Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners:
State Street Corporation, 2009 Presenting Sponsor, The Nutcracker
Jane’s Trust
Massachusetts Cultural Council
National Endowment for the Arts
Boston Organ & Piano, Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet
