Maia Wilkins Explained

Maia Wilkins is an American ballerina. She was a principal dancer for the Joffrey Ballet from 1991 until 2008. She was the principal of Sacramento Ballet School and is currently the Associate Director of Ballet at Northern California Dance Conservatory. She used to teach ballet and re-stages Joffrey and Arpino works for the Arpino Foundation.[1]

Early life

Wilkins was born at home in Truckee, California and had her primary pre-professional training with Maggie Banks (former Principal with American Ballet Theatre) in Reno, Nevada. Wilkins moved to New York when she was 15 to continue her professional training at the Joffrey Ballet School.[2] Wilkins joined the Joffrey Ballet[3] in 1991.

Career

After joining the Joffrey Ballet, Wilkins became a leading dancer[4] (Joffrey is officially an unranked company). She went on to dance the lead in many of Joffrey and Arpino's works. She has appeared in both Save the Last Dance and The Company. The Los Angeles Times praised her dancing in a performance of Kettentanz in 1997.[5] The New York Times called her dancing as Caroline in Jardin aux Lilas in 2002 "a superbly articulated performance."[6] As the Sugar Plum Fairy in a 2006 performance of the Nutcracker, the Washington Post described her as "the requisite Sugar Plum Fairy package and then some -- she was delicate, classically pure and never dropped her smile, even when whipping off an array of turns with gyroscopic certainty."[7]

Wilkins was in many of Arpino's Pas de Duex, including Sea Shadow, Light Rain and Secret Places. Wilkins was awarded two Ruth Page Awards for Artistic Excellence and interpretation. Wilkins was named one of the 25 to watch by Dance Magazine in 2002.[8] She appeared on the cover of Dance Magazine twice, once for the Joffrey Ballet and the second time as an American Ballerina. In 2008, Wilkins retired from the Joffrey Ballet[9] after her contract was not renewed in favor of recruiting younger dancers.[10]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maia Wilkins. maiawilkins.com. 2023-09-27.
  2. Anderson. Jocelyn. 2008. Taking Leave. Pointe. 9. 3. 16. 18 August 2016. subscription . EBSCO.
  3. Book: The New York Times Dance Reviews 2000 . Fitzroy Dearborn . 2001 . 978-1-57958-059-9 . July 30, 2016 . 118.
  4. Web site: Joffrey's Maia Wilkins: Born to be Wild - Dance Magazine. 2011-02-23. en-US. 2016-06-23.
  5. News: Joffrey Makes the Most of Very Little. Segal. Lewis. 28 June 1997. Los Angeles Times. 18 August 2016.
  6. News: Visiting Joffrey Is Right at Home In Washington. Kisselgoff. Anna. 5 March 2002. The New York Times. 18 August 2016.
  7. News: Joffrey's 'Nutcracker' Is a Warm Holiday Treat. Kaufman. Sarah. 24 November 2006. The Washington Post. 18 August 2016.
  8. Web site: 25 to watch in 2002: the most exciting discoveries of the year as told by Dance Magazine writers and editors worldwide. - Free Online Library. www.thefreelibrary.com. 2016-06-24.
  9. Weiss. Hedy. August 2008. Retirements. Dance Magazine. 82. 8. 90. 18 August 2016. subscription . EBSCO.
  10. News: Joffrey Carries on Steps of Change. Smith. Sid. 13 April 2008. Chicago Tribune. 18 August 2016.