The UMKC Conservatory is pleased to announce that David Justin is our new Associate Professor of Dance. Formerly a principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet and a soloist with San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet, David has toured extensively across the globe performing at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Paris Opera as well as major houses in Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa. He has performed principal roles from many of the classics, including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppéllia, La Fille mal gardée, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, and roles as the Champion Roper in Agnes DeMille's Rodeo, the Husband in Robbins' The Concert, Pulcinella in Caniparoli's Pulcinella, King Arthur in Bintley's Arthur, and Gaveston in Edward II.
Justin has also been privileged to dance principal roles in many twentieth-century choreographers' masterpieces, including the works of Balanchine, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Val Caniparoli, Stanton Welsh, Jiri Kylian, James Kudelka, Hans Van Manen, Kenneth MacMillan, Paul Taylor, and William Forsythe. David's dancing has been described as "alluring and mercurial", "polished", "brilliant" and "fearless."
With a choreographic career spanning more than 15 years and a performance career of more than 30 years, he has created works for dancers from around the world, including for New York City Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet de Monte Carlo, Atlanta Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, American Repertory Ensemble, and others.
David brings his experience and expertise to the Conservatory from the University of Texas at Austin where he has been an Associate Professor of Dance for 15 years.
He is the artistic director of American Repertory Ensemble and holds a master’s degree from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Welcome!