Michael Pink, Choreographer

Michael Pink began his tenure as Artistic Director of the Milwaukee Ballet Company in December of 2002. Since that time he has established himself as a prominent member of the Milwaukee arts community, demonstrating his commitment to the future of dance through new work, education and collaboration. His artistic vision for Milwaukee Ballet is both exciting and challenging. Mr. Pink’s dramatic production of Romeo & Juliet took narrative dance drama to a new level of interpretation. His new productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake have been hailed as ‘Classical Ballet for the 21st Century’.

Michael Pink is an international choreographer and teacher. He trained as a classical dancer at the Royal Ballet, joining English National Ballet in 1975. During his ten years with the Company he danced many leading roles, most notably his partnership with Natalia Makarova in John Cranko’s Onegin.

From 1986 to 1998 he worked along side Christopher Gable as founding director of Ballet Central and Associate Artistic Director of the Northern Ballet Theatre.

Throughout his career he has worked with such luminaries as Dame Ninette de Valois, Sir Frederick Ashton, Leonide Massine, Nicholas Beriosoff and Glen Tetley.

His early choreographic work won him first place in the Ursula Moreton Choreographic Competition and the Royal Society of Arts Competition. He has worked as repetiteur for Rudolf Nureyev at the Paris Opera and La Scala Milan.

His first professional work, ‘1914’ was nominated for a West End Theatre Award.

A long standing friendship with composer Philip Feeney has produced over 20 original works.

His other works include Don Quixote, Strange Meeting, Swan Lake, Dracula, Giselle 1943, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Solstice, and Don’t Touch as well as works for theatre and television.