Christopher Ruud

Ballet West, Principal Artist

Background
Born: San Francisco, California 

Son of respected dancer and choreographer Tomm Ruud, Christopher is responsible for his father’s works. He has set and performed his father’s ballets, such as  MOBILE , for companies including Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet West and Joffrey Ballet Co. He can be seen as a guest artist in frequent performances throughout the US.

He is married to  Christiana Bennett, a principal dancer at Ballet West.

After 15 years as a dancer with Ballet West, Christopher has added choreographer and Director of Ballet West II to his responsibilities. His works  Without Fall  and  Trapped  were performed at the 2012 Gala and Innovations program. In 2012 he was awarded a Fellowship Initiative grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, enabling him to create his latest piece,  Strum . As Director of Ballet West II, he is honored to carry the responsibility of teaching and training the future dancers of Ballet West.

Ballet Career
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;line-height:12.9pt;"><span style="border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;">Training: <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;">  <span style="border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;">San Francisco Ballet School, where he studied for six years and performed numerous children’s roles in the SF Ballet repertoire. He received additional training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, before training at the University of Utah Ballet Department. <span style="color:white;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;line-height:12.9pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.9pt;"><span style="border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;">Joined Ballet West: 1998, was promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2004.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.9pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Notable Roles:

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 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">“Petruchio” in John Cranko's  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Taming of the Shrew 
 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Second Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor's  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Leaves Are Fading 
 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Christopher Bruce’s <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1"> Ghost Dances 
 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">William Forsythe's  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated 
 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Val Caniparoli’s <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1"> Lamberana <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;"> and  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Book of Alleged Dances 
 * <span style="line-height:12.9pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">“Romeo” in Jonas Kage’s <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1"> Romeo and Juliet 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.9pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Christopher has performed the principal roles in multiple versions of such classics as  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Swan Lake, <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Sleeping Beauty <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">,  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Giselle <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">,  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Cinderella <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">,  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Don Quixote <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;"> and  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Le Corsaire Pas de Deux <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">. He has also danced leading roles in works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, Hans van Manen and Nicolo Fonte. Christopher’s favorite  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Balanchine <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;"> credits include “Liza” in  ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Who Cares? <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">; “Puck” in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">A Midsummer Night's Dream <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">;  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Serenade <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">; “Melancholic” and “Sanguinic” in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Four Temperaments <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">;  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">; “El Capitan” in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Stars and Stripes <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">; and the principal in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Theme and Variations ''<span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">. Recently he has had works created on him by Nicolo Fonte <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">  <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Immeasurable Cadences Within <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">, Helen Picket in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">But Never Doubt I Love, <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">Charlotte Boye-Christensen in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">Row <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">, and Val Caniparoli in  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">The Lottery <span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:white;border:1ptnonewindowtext;padding:0in;">. <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman";color:white;mso-themecolor:background1">

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