awards for arts achievement

Peter H. Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of the New York City Ballet, has spent more than 30 years with the New York City Ballet as a dancer, choreographer and Ballet Master. The Danish-born dancer began his career with the New York City Ballet in 1967, when he danced the title role in George Balanchine’s “Apollo” at the Edinburgh Festival. He joined as Principal Dancer in 1970 from which he retired in 1983. In 1981 Martins assumed the position of Ballet Master and became the Company’s sole director in 1990. He has choreographed more than 0 ballets and under Martins’ leadership, the New York City Ballet has commissioned the world premieres of numerous pieces from artists including Lar Lubovitch, Laura Dean, Eliot Field, William Forsythe and Paul Taylor, and he has choreographed numerous works of his own. Martins’ work has been featured on PBS’s “Great Performance” and “Live from Lincoln Center” television series. Martins was dubbed a Knight of the Order of Dannebrog by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in September 1983.