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As the longest-serving artistic director in Texas Ballet Theater history and our esteemed Artistic Director Laureate, Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., was the architect of our company’s international reputation.
After joining the Company in 2003, he established himself as a prominent member of the local arts community, demonstrating his commitment to the future of ballet through education, collaboration, and his artistic vision. In 2022, Stevenson was named Artistic Director Laureate in recognition of his lengthy tenure.
A native of Portsmouth, England, Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. began his training at the Arts Education School in London. He appeared with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and English National Ballet where, as a principal dancer, he performed leading roles in all the classics.
During his professional career, Stevenson received numerous awards, including 3 gold medals at the International Ballet Competitions of 1972, 1982, and 1986. His contribution to ballet, as a dancer and choreographer, influences the art of ballet at an international level. In December 1999, Queen Elizabeth II named Stevenson an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
“Classical ballet is a language, not a style. It is punctuated by emotion and evolves with time to incorporate culture and technique. Yet the future of ballet is not dependent on the past or even the art itself. It is dependent on the people who appreciate and contribute to it.
To ensure the future of ballet, we must take it outside of the theater and into the community. As we continue to grow our company, this will play a vital role in Texas Ballet Theater’s ability to cultivate new audiences and engage the next generation of appreciation for ballet, at home and abroad.”
— Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.
Ben was a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award and was recognized in 2018 by the Chinese government as an influential foreign expert across four decades during China’s Reform and Opening Up policy. Locally, he is celebrated as a Texas legend, winning the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005 for achieving greatness through his creative talents.
Mr. Stevenson was one of the great storytellers of ballet. Known for creating splendor on stage, his choreography was both world-renowned and in high-demand across ballet companies world-wide. His full-length works included: The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Peer Gynt, Dracula, The Snow Maiden, and Cleopatra.
At Texas Ballet Theater, we celebrate the light he brought to the stage and the countless lives he inspired.
