Ethan Stiefel

Ethan Stiefel (born February 13, 1973) is an American dancer, choreographer, and director. He is best known for his tenure as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 1997 to 2012. Stiefel served as the artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet from 2011 to 2014. He was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, and began ballet training at the Monona Academy of Dance in Madison, Wisconsin. Stiefel's passion for ballet was ignited by his older sister's involvement in the art form. He studied at the Milwaukee Ballet School and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Stiefel's wife is Gillian Murphy, also a principal dancer with ABT.