Olivia Boisson | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | School of American Ballet |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Career | |
| Current group | New York City Ballet |
Olivia Boisson is an American ballet dancer. In 2013, she joined the corps de ballet atNew York City Ballet, becoming the firstblack person to join the company in a decade.
Olivia Boisson was born inQueens, New York toHaitian immigrants.[1] She began dancing when she was six years old, training at The Ballet Arts School of Forest Hills inForest Hills, Queens. In 2000, she studied classical ballet at theDance Theatre of Harlem. In 2004, she enrolled as a full-time student at theSchool of American Ballet and was the only African-American dancer in her year.[2][3] She was a recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award in 2012, joining theNew York City Ballet as an apprentice that same year.[4] In December 2013, she became a member of the company'scorps de ballet, becoming the first black dancer to join the company in a decade.[2]
Her repertoire at New York City Ballet has included roles inGeorge Balanchine's ballets such as Prayer inCoppélia, Coffee inThe Nutcracker,Chaconne, andThe Four Temperaments. She has also danced as a princess inPeter Martins'Swan Lake and Cellos inJerome Robbins'Fanfare.[4] As a member of the corps de ballet, she was an original cast member inJR'sLes Bosquets.[4]
In 2018, in honor ofNelson Mandela's 100th birthday, Boisson was featured in Melika Dez and Jeremy McQueen's100 FISTS, a photography series that featured black dancers in New York City.[5] That same year, Boisson and other members of New York City Ballet modeled forPuma's Spring/Summer collection and theirDo You campaign.[6][7]