Lauren Anderson (dancer)

This article is about the ballet dancer. For the model, see Lauren Anderson (model).
Lauren Anderson
Anderson interviewed in 2013
Born (1965-02-19) February 19, 1965 (age 59)
Houston, Texas
OccupationBallet dancer
Children1
Career
Former groupsHouston Ballet (1983–2006)

Lauren Anderson (born February 19, 1965) is an American ballet dancer and a former principal dancer with the Houston Ballet. In 1990, she was one of the first African-American ballerinas to become a principal for a major dance company, an important milestone in American ballet.[1][2] She appeared in many ballets such as Don Quixote, Cleopatra, and The Nutcracker.[3] She retired from the Houston Ballet in 2006 and retired from dance altogether in 2009.[3] In 2016, Anderson had her pointe shoes from her final performance placed in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.[4]

  1. ^ "Debra Austin sets record straight: She was the first African American woman to be the principal dancer with a major US ballet company | News & Observer". Newsobserver.com. July 13, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Kourlas, Gia (May 6, 2007). "Dance: Where Are All the Black Swans?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Lauren Anderson | First Black Principal Dancer | Houston Ballet". laurenanderson. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  4. ^ "Houston Ballet | Lauren Anderson". www.houstonballet.org. Retrieved 2020-11-28.