Joy Womack

Joy Annabelle Womack (born April 20, 1994) is an American ballet dancer. She is the third American after Anastasia Stevens[1] and Michael Shannon[2] to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program, and the second American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet.[3] She was a principal dancer with the Universal Ballet and Kremlin Ballet, and is currently an artist at the Boston Ballet.[4]

Joy Womack
Born
Joy Annabelle Womack

(1994-04-20) April 20, 1994
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBallet dancer
Partner(s)Andrew Hale Clay (engaged)
Current groupBoston Ballet
Former groupsKremlin Ballet Theatre of Moscow, Universal Ballet
Websitewww.joywomack.com

Early life and education

Though ethnically Russian, Womack was born in Beverly Hills, California and raised in California and Texas, one of nine children. She trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet before attending the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2009 after Academy teachers noticed her at that year's summer intensive.[5] She was fifteen years old at the time.[6]

During her first year at the Academy,[7] Womack was among a group of students selected to perform for a regular Bolshoi audience in a special gala, along with the stars of the Bolshoi Ballet itself; she performed despite needing surgery for a bone injury.[6] She received the surgery later after a parishioner at her English-language church in Moscow offered to pay.[6]

Career

Some of Womack's classical repertoire include the roles of Giselle in Giselle, Masha in The Nutcracker, the pas de deux from Diana and Acteon, and Princess Budur in One Thousand and One Nights.[8]

In November 2013, Womack announced in an interview with Izvestia that she was leaving the Bolshoi Ballet, which she claimed was fraught with corruption.[9] During the interview, she made allegations of extortion from an unnamed director in exchange for a solo part in a performance in September of that year.[10] Although some dancers, such as Alexander Petukhov, denied the allegations stating, "...If she knows something, let her name those people. Why smear the theater like that?" Others, such as Natalia Vyskubeno, supported Womack's account.[11] Womack herself described this time as "...like breaking up with your first love."[11]

In 2014, at the age of 19, she became a principal dancer of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre of Moscow. She left the company in 2017.[8][4] In 2018, she was a principal dancer with the Universal Ballet in Seoul, South Korea.[12] Womack also guest performed in Sofia National Opera and Ballet, Kracow Opera and Ballet & The Russian State Ballet.[4] She joined the Boston Ballet as an artist in 2019.[4]

Womack is the founder of Project Prima, a supplement company that caters specifically to dancers and performance athletes.[13] She is also a Gaynor Girl Pro Ambassador for Gaynor Minden, and a model for Cloud and Victory, a dance wear and ballet brand.[14]

Womack will appear in an upcoming documentary, Joy Womack: The White Swan, made by Dina Burlis and Sergey Gavrilov. It debuted in June 2020 at the Marché du Film at Cannes and is currently in post-production.[15]

New Zealand filmmaking team James Napier Robertson and Tom Hern have announced a biopic called Joika, based on Womack's life in Russia. Actress Thomasin McKenzie will play Womack, and Womack will serve as her dancing double and trainer. The film is expected to begin filming in New Zealand in early 2021.[16][17]

Personal life

Womack announced her engagement to Andrew Hale Clay on September 30, 2020.[18]

Awards

In 2012, Womack was awarded the Grand Prix Award at one of the 13 Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals.[19][20][21]

In 2013, she was awarded the Asian Grand Prix Award at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong.[8]

In 2015, she won 1st Prize Ballet Professional & 2nd Prize Contemporary Professional in Bari Ballet Competition Italy.[22]

In July 2016, Womack won silver medal at the International Ballet Competition at Varna, Bulgaria.[23]

References
  1. American Girl Tours With Bolshoi. The Montreal Gazette. December 4, 1962
  2. "American Michael Shannon Joins Bolshoi Ballet". The Los Angeles Times. November 18, 1989. Retrieved September 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Key, Lauren (August–September 2012). "Pointe magazine – Ballet at its Best". Pointe. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. "Joy Womack". Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  5. "Teen Dancer's AMAZING Accomplishment". The Huffington Post. April 9, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  6. J. Levy, Clifford (May 31, 2010). "Young Americans Embrace Rigors of the Bolshoi". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  7. Fowler, Damian (Summer 2012). "A Texan in Moscow". Listen. pp. 29–31.
  8. "Joy Womack". Kremlin Palace. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  9. "Американская балерина обвинила руководство Большого в вымогательстве". Izvestia. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  10. "American Ballerina Quits Bolshoi, Accuses Theater of Extortion". Time. November 13, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  11. Loiko, Sergei L. (November 20, 2013). "Joy Womack tells a story of bribe request, struggles at the Bolshoi". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  12. "After Careers in Moscow and Seoul, Joy Womack Looks to Expand Her Horizons". October 10, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. "Home - Project Prima". Project Prima. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  14. "Gaynor Girl Pros". Gaynor Minden. April 6, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  15. "Catching Up With Joy Womack on Two Upcoming Films Based on Her Life, Plus How She's Managed in Quarantine". Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  16. "'Jojo Rabbit' Actress Thomasin McKenzie To Star In Ballet Drama 'Joika'". Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  17. "'Jojo Rabbit' & 'Leave No Trace' Star Thomasin McKenzie To Play American Ballet Dancer Joy Womack In 'Joika' For Anonymous Content, Four Knights, Embankment & UTA — Cannes". Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  18. "I GOT ENGAGED!!". Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  19. "YAGP 2012 - NEW YORK CITY FINALS". Youth America Grand Prix. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  20. "2012 YAGP - PARIS, FRANCE SEMI-FINAL WINNERS". Youth America Grand Prix. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  21. "YAGP Winners". Youth America Grand Prix. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  22. "Awards | Bari Ballet Competition". BariBalletCompetition.com. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  23. "IBC Varna 2016". Varna International Ballet Competition. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
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