Nilas Martins | Artistic Associate

Born in Copenhagen, Nilas Martins received early dance training at the Royal Danish Ballet School. As a student, he performed with the Royal Danish Ballet in works such as John Neumeier’s Romeo and Juliet, August Bournonville’s Konservatoriet, A Folk Tale, Napoli, and Glen Tetley’s Firebird. In 1984, Nilas moved to New York and enrolled at the School of American Ballet. He joined the New York City Ballet in September 1986, was promoted to soloist in 1991, and became a Principal dancer in 1993.

At the New York City Ballet, Mr. Martins danced numerous featured roles. They worked closely with choreographers such as John Alleyne, Lynn Taylor Corbett, Boris Eifman, William Forsythe, Peter Martins, Trey McIntyre, Kevin O’Day, Jerome Robbins, Susan Stroman, and Richard Tanner. His film credits include Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts of Ray Charles in Concert, The Nutcracker (1993, Warner Brothers), and the Dance in America telecast of Dinner with Balanchine, where he danced the role of Apollo with Paris Opera Etoile Isabel Guerin. He also performed in Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100, dancing 'The Man I Love' from Who Cares?, featuring Wynton Marsalis.

From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Martins was one of ten fellows selected to study under Michael Kaiser at the DeVos Institute for Arts Management. His teaching experience includes positions at Armitage Gone Dance, BalletMet, Baltimore School for the Arts, Goucher College, Harvard University, Indiana University, Joffrey Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, National Ballet of China, NBA Ballet (Japan), New York City Ballet, Novosibirsk Ballet (Russia), NYSSA Summer Intensive, Princeton University, Royal Danish Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Washington Ballet.

Since 1996, Mr. Martins has been a Repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, staging ballets for companies and schools domestically and internationally. He joined the faculty of State Street Ballet in 2018 and became Artistic Associate in 2024.