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Maia Wilkins

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Maia Wilkins is an American ballerina. She was a principal dancer for the Joffrey Ballet from 1991 until 2008. She was the principal of Sacramento Ballet School and is currently the Associate Director of Ballet at Northern California Dance Conservatory. She used to teach ballet and re-stages Joffrey and Arpino works for the Arpino Foundation.[1]

Early life

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Wilkins was born at home in Truckee, California and had her primary pre-professional training with Maggie Banks (former Principal with American Ballet Theatre) in Reno, Nevada. Wilkins moved to New York when she was 15 to continue her professional training at the Joffrey Ballet School.[2] Wilkins joined the Joffrey Ballet[3] in 1991.[2]

Career

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After joining the Joffrey Ballet, Wilkins became a leading dancer[4] (Joffrey is officially an unranked company). She went on to dance the lead in many of Joffrey and Arpino's works. She has appeared in both Save the Last Dance[5] and The Company.[6] The Los Angeles Times praised her dancing in a performance of Kettentanz in 1997.[7] The New York Times called her dancing as Caroline in Jardin aux Lilas in 2002 "a superbly articulated performance."[8] As the Sugar Plum Fairy in a 2006 performance of the Nutcracker, the Washington Post described her as "the requisite Sugar Plum Fairy package and then some -- she was delicate, classically pure and never dropped her smile, even when whipping off an array of turns with gyroscopic certainty."[9]

Wilkins was in many of Arpino's Pas de Duex, including Sea Shadow, Light Rain and Secret Places. Wilkins was awarded two Ruth Page Awards for Artistic Excellence and interpretation. Wilkins was named one of the 25 to watch by Dance Magazine in 2002.[10] She appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine twice, once for the Joffrey Ballet and the second time as an American Ballerina. In 2008, Wilkins retired from the Joffrey Ballet[11] after her contract was not renewed in favor of recruiting younger dancers.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Maia Wilkins". maiawilkins.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Anderson, Jocelyn (2008). "Taking Leave". Pointe. 9 (3): 16. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via EBSCO.
  3. ^ The New York Times Dance Reviews 2000. Fitzroy Dearborn. 2001. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-57958-059-9. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  4. ^ "Joffrey's Maia Wilkins: Born to be Wild - Dance Magazine". February 23, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  5. ^ Carter, Thomas (January 12, 2001), Save the Last Dance, retrieved June 23, 2016
  6. ^ Altman, Robert (May 20, 2004), The Company, retrieved June 23, 2016
  7. ^ Segal, Lewis (June 28, 1997). "Joffrey Makes the Most of Very Little". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  8. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (March 5, 2002). "Visiting Joffrey Is Right at Home In Washington". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Kaufman, Sarah (November 24, 2006). "Joffrey's 'Nutcracker' Is a Warm Holiday Treat". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  10. ^ "25 to watch in 2002: the most exciting discoveries of the year as told by Dance Magazine writers and editors worldwide. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  11. ^ Weiss, Hedy (August 2008). "Retirements". Dance Magazine. 82 (8): 90. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via EBSCO.
  12. ^ Smith, Sid (April 13, 2008). "Joffrey Carries on Steps of Change". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 18, 2016.

Further reading

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