Ethan Stiefel is one of the best-known dancers of his generation. He started ballet training at the age of 8, and received a scholarship to attend the School of American Ballet, joining New York City Ballet at 16. He took a short leave to study with the Zurich Ballet in 1992, returned to New York as a soloist shortly after, and was promoted to the principal dancer rank by 1995. In 1997, Stiefel joined the American Ballet Theatre as principal dancer, enjoying an illustrious career until retiring from the stage in 2012. In 2011, Mr. Stiefel became the artistic director at the Royal New Zealand Ballet, returning to the US in 2014 as a ballet master for American Ballet Theatre Studio Company and the American Ballet Theatre, and a coach and guest instructor for numerous dance institutions around the world. Mr. Stiefel is a 1989 silver medal recipient at Prix de Lausanne, 1998 Benois de la Danse nominee and 1999 Statue Award recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation.