Billy Blanken

Billy grew up performing in Ohio with the Muse Machine under the direction of Nat Horne and David Duising and dancing at the Gary Geiss School of Dance.  He graduated with honors from Ball State University with majors in Acting and Dance Performance. While at Ball State, Billy danced with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre and Project in Motion.  With PIM, Billy performed in the Indiana Public School System educating students about physics, kinesiology, and anatomy through dance.  After graduation, he was invited to attend the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City on full scholarship.  Billy trained two years at Joffrey under the late John Magnus, Francesca Corkle, Ellie Lazar and Eleanor D’Antuono. During that time he performed with the Joffrey Ensemble, in their first production of Nutcracker, and produced the Joffrey School's first Student Choreographic Workshop.  

 

He started his professional career as a principal with the Amy Marshall Dance Company before he joined Les Ballets Grandiva.  Some of Billy's freelance credits include; principal guest artist with Brooklyn Ballet, Dances Patrelle, Catherine Gallant Dance, Atlantic City Ballet, Mobile Ballet, Flexicurve, Northwest Florida Ballet, Lane & Co Arts, Sun Valley Ballet, the East Village Dance Project, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, Columbus Ballet, Neville Dance Theatre, isadoraNOW, Ballet Mink Colbert, and performing Michael Foley's work in the Howl on the Road Festival at Lincoln Center and CoDa21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  In 2016, he established Queens Ballet Collective,  (formerly Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre) for which he is choreographer and Artistic Director. 

 

Billy is original collaborator, writer, producer, choreographer and performer of "the intimacies project" with dancer Jordan Marinov, filmmaker Bill Hayward and late Musician/ Playwright Anna Elman.  ‘the intimacies project’ was featured at Port Authority by Times Square Alliance,  Galapogos Arts Center, the Rover Soho, and the Jennifer Muller’s The Hatch series.  

 

Billy has taught at Peridance Center, the Rioult Dance Center the Jakarta Intercultural School, Joffrey Ballet School, the East Village Dance Project. Ball State University, Astoria Fine Arts Dance, Wright State University, the Gary Geiss Dance School, SUNY Purchase with isadoraNOW, Northwest Florida Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre, New York Dance Experience, with Brooklyn Ballet's 'Elevate' program, and Montclair State University via the Amy Marshall Dance Company and others. 

 

He is currently  faculty at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. He is a GYROTONIC® certified instructor in 2024 working with Master Trainers Carla Rigon, Juergen Bamberger and Justine Bernard.