Maria Calegari, an international ballet master instructor and former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, will speak about her life in ballet on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
Maria Calegari:: ballet master. Contributed photo
A native New Yorker, she was chosen at the age of 17 by choreographer George Balanchine to join his world renowned New York City Ballet Company.
She worked with Balanchine and Jerome Robbins from 1974 to 1994, performing and creating more than 40 soloist roles in their extensive repertory.
In addition to her wide range of roles as a principal dancer live on stage, she appeared numerous times on public television in “Live from Lincoln Center.”
Since 1998, she has restaged ballets for both the George Balanchine Trust and the Robbins Rights Trust worldwide.
In 2011 she became president and co-founder of the Apollo Arts Initiative Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering cultural awareness and wellness within the community and the individual.
The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities.
