Whitney Jensen

Whitney Jensen (born May 4, 1992)[1] is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer with the Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo and previously at the Boston Ballet.

Whitney Jensen
Whitney Jensen dances for Swans for Relief (2020)
Born (1992-05-04) May 4, 1992
Sandy, Utah, U.S.
Occupationballet dancer
Years active2009-present
Current groupNorwegian National Ballet
Former groupsBoston Ballet

Early life and education

Jensen was born in Sandy, Utah,[2] and raised in Park City.[3] Her mother was a professional dancer and later a teacher, and her two sisters are Broadway dancers.[4] She started dancing at age 6, in ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop, and focused on ballet two years later. At age 11, when competing at the Youth America Grand Prix, she met Valentina Kozlova, a former Bolshoi Ballet principal, then began travelling between Utah and New York to train with Kozlova. At age 13, Jensen moved to New York, to train with Kozlova privately while completing her school work online.[1][5]

Career

At age 11 and 12, she performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as Clara.[6]

In 2008, Jensen won the special distinction prize at the junior division of the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria.[7] She was the first American to win this award.[8] She then danced with the Hungarian National Ballet as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.[5] In 2009, she was listed as one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch".[8] That year, at age 17, she joined the Boston Ballet. She was promoted second soloists months later, soloist in 2011 and principal dancer in 2014, at age 22, making her one of the youngest principals in the company' history.[1][9] She was cast in contemporary works more often.[10]

In 2015, Jensen left the Boston Ballet.[11] On her departure, she later said, "I loved the company and the people there. I felt it was time for me to take a breather and reflect on what I wanted and how I can progress in my own way—and not measure roles or promotions as success." She said she took a six months hiatus, but continued to practice during that time. She then contacted Norwegian National Ballet's director Ingrid Lorentzen, who offered her a contract, and relocated to Oslo in February 2016.[10] She is currently a principal dancer, and her repertoire there includes full-length classics and works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe and Alexander Ekman.[12]

In 2020, Jensen danced The Swan in Misty Copeland's fundraiser, Swans for Relief, a response to the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the dance community, with funds going to participating dancers' companies and other related relief funds.[13]

Personal life

Jensen studied at the Northeastern University through a special program for Boston Ballet dancers.[14]

References
  1. "Shooting Star: Whitney Jensen". Dance Spirit. September 1, 2014.
  2. Williams, Shelby (May 1, 2019). "Norwegian National Ballet Principal Whitney Jensen Answers Biscuit Ballerina's Questions!". Biscuit Ballerina.
  3. Gantz, Jeffrey (January 1, 2012). "The dancer: Whitney Jensen Boston Ballet's shooting star". The Bpston Globe.
  4. "Dance Moms We Love". Dance Spirits. April 11, 2013.
  5. "In the Wings: Whitney Jensen". Pointe Magazine.
  6. Foster, Hannah (December 3, 2018). "You'll Never Guess Which Dancers Made Their Stage Debut as a Radio City Clara". Dance Magazine.
  7. "XXIII International Ballet Competition - Varna 2008". Varna International Ballet Competition.
  8. "25 To Watch". Dance Magazine. December 21, 2009.
  9. Gantz, Jeffrey (August 5, 2014). "An expanded Boston Ballet roster". The Boston Globe.
  10. Brandt, Amy (October 26, 2016). "Whitney Jensen On Why Taking A Break Was Pivotal to Her Career". Pointe Magazine.
  11. "Departing Boston Ballet dancer Whitney Jensen seeks 'time to grow'". The Boston Globe. July 1, 2015.
  12. "Whitney Jensen". Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  13. Stahl, Jennifer (May 6, 2020). "32 Ballerinas From Around the World Perform "The Dying Swan" for COVID-19 Relief". Dance Magazine.
  14. Rivers, Ashley (January 1, 2015). "Your Career: Hitting the Books". Dance Magazine.
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