Longtime BalletMet dancer and celebrated choreographer Jimmy Orrante has won his third award from the New York City-based Princess Grace Foundation.
Orrante is the sole recipient of the Choreography Mentorship Co Commission Award and will work with Stephen Mills, Artistic Director of Ballet Austin.
“I am thrilled and honored to be selected as this year’s CMCC Award recipient,” said Orrante. “Working with Stephen at Ballet Austin is such an exciting next step in my career.”
Orrante received the inaugural Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship in 2005 and the Special Project Grant from the Princess Grace Foundation in 2011. This grant, along with a grant from the NEA to collaborate with The Ohio State University’s Advanced Center for Computer Art & Design and media composer, Sean Beeson, resulted in Illuminated Tapestry, which premiered in April 2012 and involved motion capture using the XBOX Kinect.
Also in 2011, Orrante was honored with the National Choreographic Recognition Award for Regional Dance America and was chosen as Choreographer in Residence for Denison University.
In March of 2014, Orrante was selected as one of three finalists in Ballet Austin’s New American Talent Choreographic Competition for his work, Ya Me Fue. He also created Balanced on Motion Dance in Asheville, North Carolina in the summer of 2014.
Now entering his 20th season as a dancer with BalletMet, the Los Angeles native has choreographed many works for the company, including his highly successful full-length ballet The Great Gatsby, which premiered in 2009. This work has been selected as part of BalletMet’s 2014 – 2015 season and will be performed in Columbus from February 6 – 14, 2015.
Orrante will retire from the stage following BalletMet’s last performance of this season, which contains a work choreographed by former BalletMet Artistic Director David Nixon to celebrate and honor Orrante’s incredible career.