Billy Blanken 2016 Chance-to-Choreograph Selectee
Billy Blanken grew up performing with the Muse Machine under the direction of Nat Horne and David Duising in Dayton, Ohio and studying dance at the Gary Geiss School of Dance. Billy attended Ball State University on scholarship graduating with a double major in Acting and Dance Performance. At Ball State, Billy appeared in The Boyfriend, Romeo and Juliet, A Little Night Music, Ordinary People, Workout, Children of Eden, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, was a company member of Ball State Dance Theatre, as well as producing his thesis- Collages: a multi-disiplinary arts concert. Also while at Ball State, Billy danced with the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre and Project in Motion of Indianapolis. With AYBT he danced works by Trinette Singleton, Lou Ann Young, Alan Sener, Bill Evans, Hilarion in Giselle, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Colin in Las Fille Mas Gardee, and Cavalier in The Nutcracker. With PIM, Billy performed full concerts in West Lafayette and Indianapolis, and danced in the Indiana Public School System educating students about dance, physics, kinesiology, and anatomy, and also at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and for the Art Walk. During Billy's last year of university, he received invitation to attend the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City on full scholarship. Billy trained two years at Joffrey with the late John Magnus, Francesca Corkle, Ellie Lazar and Eleanor D’Antuono. During that time he performed with the Joffrey Ensemble, and in their first production of Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. He also produced the Joffrey School's first Student Choreographic Workshop, in which his choreography 'Enduring Light' debuted.
After finishing his training, he started his professional career as a principal of the Amy Marshall Dance Company. Since 2009, he is a company member of Les Ballets Grandiva. With Grandiva, Billy performed in Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as NYC engagements. He is currently a member of Ajkun Ballet Theatre, based in New York City. With Ajkun he coordinates their New York Winter Festival Showcase every January.
Some of Billy's freelance credits include principal guest artist with Brooklyn Ballet, Catherine Gallant Dance, Atlantic City Ballet, isadoraNOW!, Mobile Ballet, Northwest Florida Ballet, Flexicurve, Lane & Co Arts, Eidolon Ballet, Neville Dance Theatre, Sun Valley Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, Lincoln Midwest Ballet, York Dance Works, Ballet Mink Colbert in Las Vegas, and performing Michael Foley's work in the Howl on the Road Festival at Lincoln Center, also with Lane and Co Arts he performed in O Balleto at the NY Fringe Festival and Jacob's Pillow, the East Village Dance Project at the Skirball Theater in New York City and LaMaMa, and Dances Patrelle's Nutcracker in New York City. He is also a guest artist with CoDa21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Billy is original collaborator, writer, producer, choreographer and performer of "the intimacies project" with dancer Jordan Marinov, filmmaker Bill Hayward and late Musician/ Playwright Anna Elman. 'the intimacies project' is a daring display of the danger of intimacy and the impossibility of love incorporating art, film, text, dance, and music. 'the intimacies project' was sponsored by the Time Square Alliance and performed to an audience of over 250,000 people a day over a 10 day engagement in Port Authority, and was also been featured in Galapogos Arts Center in Brooklyn and the Rover Soho as well as the “Jennifer Muller/ The Works Hatchseries. In 2011, Billy was commissioned in Las Cruces New Mexico to stage material from "the intimacies project" as well as several works of his own choreography.
As a teacher, Billy has taught at the East Village Dance Project, Capezio Peridance Center, Northwest Florida Ballet, Ball State University, Jakarta Intercultural School, D’Valda &Sirico Dance and Music Centre, the Center for Ballet Arts, Astoria Fine Arts Dance, as a guest at the School at Steps on Broadway, Wright State University, the Gary Geiss Dance School, SUNY Purchase with isadoraNOW!, with Brooklyn Ballet's 'Elevate' program, Lincoln Midwest Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, and at Montclair State University via the Amy Marshall Dance Company.
Some of Billy's modeling credits include working with famous dance photographer Lois Greenfield in her Celestial Bodies Exhibit, and her 2011 Dance Calendar Breaking Bounds as well as her 2015 book Still Moving. Billy was featured in Men's Italian Vogue Magazine, and has been seen in Artstone Dance Theatrical Catalogue, and in promotional materials for Shen Tao Studio. He has also been featured in Bill Hayward’s 2015 Chasing Dragons. He has been fortunate enough to play Lysander in the Project in Motion production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and recently starred in the short film "2350" for E of A productions.
Other inspirational teachers include Winthrop Corey, Bill Evans, Graciella Kozak, Antoinette Peloso and Alexandre Proia. Thanks to my family and Ry. @birry
After finishing his training, he started his professional career as a principal of the Amy Marshall Dance Company. Since 2009, he is a company member of Les Ballets Grandiva. With Grandiva, Billy performed in Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as NYC engagements. He is currently a member of Ajkun Ballet Theatre, based in New York City. With Ajkun he coordinates their New York Winter Festival Showcase every January.
Some of Billy's freelance credits include principal guest artist with Brooklyn Ballet, Catherine Gallant Dance, Atlantic City Ballet, isadoraNOW!, Mobile Ballet, Northwest Florida Ballet, Flexicurve, Lane & Co Arts, Eidolon Ballet, Neville Dance Theatre, Sun Valley Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, Lincoln Midwest Ballet, York Dance Works, Ballet Mink Colbert in Las Vegas, and performing Michael Foley's work in the Howl on the Road Festival at Lincoln Center, also with Lane and Co Arts he performed in O Balleto at the NY Fringe Festival and Jacob's Pillow, the East Village Dance Project at the Skirball Theater in New York City and LaMaMa, and Dances Patrelle's Nutcracker in New York City. He is also a guest artist with CoDa21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Billy is original collaborator, writer, producer, choreographer and performer of "the intimacies project" with dancer Jordan Marinov, filmmaker Bill Hayward and late Musician/ Playwright Anna Elman. 'the intimacies project' is a daring display of the danger of intimacy and the impossibility of love incorporating art, film, text, dance, and music. 'the intimacies project' was sponsored by the Time Square Alliance and performed to an audience of over 250,000 people a day over a 10 day engagement in Port Authority, and was also been featured in Galapogos Arts Center in Brooklyn and the Rover Soho as well as the “Jennifer Muller/ The Works Hatchseries. In 2011, Billy was commissioned in Las Cruces New Mexico to stage material from "the intimacies project" as well as several works of his own choreography.
As a teacher, Billy has taught at the East Village Dance Project, Capezio Peridance Center, Northwest Florida Ballet, Ball State University, Jakarta Intercultural School, D’Valda &Sirico Dance and Music Centre, the Center for Ballet Arts, Astoria Fine Arts Dance, as a guest at the School at Steps on Broadway, Wright State University, the Gary Geiss Dance School, SUNY Purchase with isadoraNOW!, with Brooklyn Ballet's 'Elevate' program, Lincoln Midwest Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, and at Montclair State University via the Amy Marshall Dance Company.
Some of Billy's modeling credits include working with famous dance photographer Lois Greenfield in her Celestial Bodies Exhibit, and her 2011 Dance Calendar Breaking Bounds as well as her 2015 book Still Moving. Billy was featured in Men's Italian Vogue Magazine, and has been seen in Artstone Dance Theatrical Catalogue, and in promotional materials for Shen Tao Studio. He has also been featured in Bill Hayward’s 2015 Chasing Dragons. He has been fortunate enough to play Lysander in the Project in Motion production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and recently starred in the short film "2350" for E of A productions.
Other inspirational teachers include Winthrop Corey, Bill Evans, Graciella Kozak, Antoinette Peloso and Alexandre Proia. Thanks to my family and Ry. @birry