C H A R L E S  A S K E G A R D / Narrator

Charles Askegard was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and began his dance training at the age of five with Loyce Houlton and the Minnesota Dance Theatre. He continued his studies in Minneapolis until the age of 16, spending one summer at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in 1983. Mr. Askegard joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in 1987, and was promoted to soloist in 1992. In 1997, he left ABT to join New York City Ballet as a soloist. He was promoted to principal in 1998.

In 2002, Mr. Askegard appeared in the nationally televised Live from Lincoln Center broadcast, "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Te n Years of New Choreography" on PBS, dancing in Them Twos.and in May of 2004 he appeared in the Live From Lincoln Center broadcast of “Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100,” dancing in Vienna Waltzes.

In addition to his appearances with New York City Ballet, Mr. Askegard has been a guest artist with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Etudes of South Florida, Bavarian State Ballet, Philippine Ballet Theatre, The Daring Project and the Stars of American Ballet. He can also be seen in the documentary Ballet, directed by Fred Wiseman. Since joining New York City Ballet, Mr. Askegard has danced featured roles in:

George Balanchine's: Allegro Brillante, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (Fourth Movement) Concerto Barocco, Coppélia (Frantz), Cortège Hongrois, Firebird, The Four Temperaments, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™, "Diamonds" from Jewels, Ivesiana, Kammermusik No. 2, Liebeslieder Walzer, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Monumentum pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Orpheus, Robert Schumann's "Davidsbündlertänze", Scotch Symphony, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Swan Lake, Symphony in C, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3 (Theme and Variations), Union Jack, Vienna Waltzes, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Western Symphony, Who Cares?