Wade Robson, 25-year-old Emmy Award-winning choreographer whose work has dazzled audiences of Fox Network's "So You Think You Can Dance" and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars, " will premiere his first work for a ballet company at San Francisco Ballet's 75th Anniversary Gala performance on January 23.
Robson, who appeared as both a popular choreographer and judge for Seasons 2 and 3 of the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance," has been commissioned by San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, to create his first ballet as part of the opening-night gala program that will officially kickoff the 75th season of America's oldest professional ballet company. Robson's wife and artistic collaborator, Amanda, co-created the concept and is designing the costumes.
Robson, who was dancing in Michael Jackson videos before he turned 10, was teaching dance at the age of 12 and has since directed music videos, commercials, award shows and world tours for recording artists such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, Usher, Mya, and Pink.
Born in Brisbane, Australia, Robson and his family moved to the U.S. when he was nine to pursue a career in entertainment. At age 16, he came to the attention of Britney Spears and was soon choreographing her 1999 world tour. In further collaborations with Spears, he wrote, directed, remixed music, directed video segments, and co-designed sets for her award show performances and world tours that culminated in an HBO special.
In addition to his talents as a director and choreographer, Robson has proven himself as a prolific songwriter. He co-wrote and produced "What It's Like To Be Me" from the multi-platinum Spears album and four songs from NSYNC's multi-platinum album, Celebrity, including the Grammy- nominated single "Gone." Robson's next project is that of choreographer for the new Cirque du Soleil production starring Criss Angel at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.
About San Francisco Ballet
As America's oldest professional ballet company, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic "firsts" since its founding in 1933, including performing the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first 20th-century American Coppélia. San Francisco Ballet is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, William, and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson for more than two decades, the Company has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award, its first, in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Dance," for its 2004 London tour. In 2006, San Francisco Ballet was the first non-European company elected "Company of the Year" in Dance Europe magazine's annual readers' poll. In 2008, San Francisco Ballet celebrates its 75th anniversary.