Jacques d’Amboise is one of the finest classical dancers of our time. As George Balanchine’s protégé, (d’Amboise began studying with Balanchine at just eight years of age), d’Amboise had more works choreographed specifically for him by The Ballet Master than any other dancer. As a choreographer, his credits include almost twenty works commissioned for New York City Ballet. In 1976, while still a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, he founded the National Dance Institute, a program that exposes thousands of school children to the magic and discipline of dance. As well as ballets, d’Amboise danced in films, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel. His numerous awards and honors include The Paul Robeson Award for excellence in the field of the humanities, a MacArthur Fellowship, and The Kennedy Center Honors, among many others.