Dancer, memoirist d'Amboise to read from new book

Jacques d'Amboise

A renowned dancer for the New York City Ballet, a choreographer and the founder of the National Dance Institute, Jacques d’Amboise reads from his new book, I Was a Dancer, and discusses his career at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, 56 Campus Ave.

D’Amboise’s appearance is sponsored by the Bates dance program, the college’s humanities division and the Lewiston Public Library, where he will speak again at 7 p.m. on the 30th. The event is open to the public free of charge. For more information, please call 207-786-8294.

Recognized as one of the finest classical dancers of our time, d’Amboise published his memoir I Was a Dancer (Knopf) this month. At age 15, he joined the NYCB. As George Balanchine’s protégé, d’Amboise had more works choreographed for him by Balanchine than any other dancer. As a choreographer himself, his credits include almost 20 works for the NYCB.

D’Amboise has performed on Broadway and in films including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel. He has also written and directed for theater, film and television.

In 1976, while still a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, he founded the National Dance Institute in the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate individuals towards excellence. Since 1976, NDI programs in New York City, nationally and internationally have influenced more than 2 million children.

D’Amboise’s contributions in arts education have earned him many awards and honors, including membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Medal of Arts, the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a 1990 MacArthur Fellowship. His many honorary degrees include the Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Bates in 1978.