Douglas Martin was among the last dancers of the Joffrey Ballet to spend the majority of his career in the company working under founder Robert Joffrey. This now extremely rare direct access to one of the most renowned ballet choreographers and teachers of the 20th century provided Mr. Martin with a uniquely valuable dance foundation that he has built upon for decades in his own career and can now pass on to students.
Mr. Martin began his ballet training at 16 with Francesca and Dimitri Romanoff at the San Jose Ballet School, after breaking his ankle playing in a high school football game. At 18, he was one of only six young male dancers selected to study at the newly formed Mikhail Baryshnikov program at the American Ballet Theatre School studying with Patricia Wilde, John Prinz and Valentina Periaslavic. In 1982 he joined the Joffrey II dancers, touring extensively throughout the US, under the direction of Sally Brayley Bliss and Maria Grandy. He was invited to join the Joffrey Ballet NY/LA in 1984, where, as a principal dancer, he performed roles in ballets by Ashton, Arpino, Balanchine, Cranko, Forsythe, Goh, Joffrey, Kudelka, Loring, Massine, Pendleton, Taylor and many other great 20th century choreographers. Mr. Martin was featured in performances of “Dance in America” on PBS and was an original cast member of the historic recreation of Nijinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps.
In 1991 Douglas Martin joined the Cleveland Ballet and danced an array of principal roles, including the Minister in Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend. In 1993, Mr. Martin was invited to join the American Repertory Ballet (ARB). As leading dancer and Ballet Master for ARB, he collaborated with several ARB directors in creating ballets, including productions as the original cast lead in Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Dream and The Nutcracker. Mr. Martin continued to be a principal dancer in the company, as well as Ballet Master for ARB and ARBW and a Principal Faculty member at Princeton Ballet School, until his retirement from performing in 2002.
Mr. Martin then greatly expanded his teaching, production and choreographic work. He was an integral part of the teaching staff at the Princeton Ballet School, Rutgers University and Westminster Choir College, and also served as the Music Director and ARB Ballet Master. He staged full-length ballet on several companies including Septime Webre’s Romeo and Juliet, Fluctuating Hemlines and Philip Jerry’s Our Town.
In 2010, Mr. Martin became Artistic Director of American Repertory Ballet. During that time he choreographed several new works including Ephemeral Possessions, Rite of Spring, Firebird, and full-length works including Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coppelia and the world premiere of his full-length Jane Austen-inspired Pride and Prejudice.
During Mr. Martin’s tenure, ARB produced and commissioned 27 premieres, including 19 world premieres. Additionally, he annually staged and directed one of four Princeton Ballet School spring productions, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Coppelia.
Principal dancer, company director, respected choreographer and successful teacher, Douglas Martin is dedicated to dance and to bringing out the full potential of dancers at all levels. Students guided by him and by Mary Barton are currently performing with New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet West, Pittsburgh Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Met and many other companies across US and Europe.
