Kristi Boone

Kristi Boone, former soloist with ABT, has been dancing for most of her life. Born in Rochester, New York, she started ballet exclusively at the age of 13 at the celebrated Draper Center for Dance Education. There she received intensive training in ballet, pointe, variations, modern and jazz. By the age of 15, she danced the lead in Timothy Draper’s Firebird and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Rochester City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, as well as many other contemporary ballets and new works under the direction of Timothy Draper and Jamey Leverett.

At 15, Kristi received a full scholarship to the Chautauqua Institute under the direction of Jean Pierre Bonnefeux. The following two years she attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive program where she was awarded the National Coca Cola scholarship (only awarded to 5 people world-wide) for both years. She was accepted to both the San Francisco Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company.

Ms. Boone was invited to join the American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company when she was a junior in high school. She completed 2 years of high school in one and entered the Studio Company, under the direction of John Meehan, in 1999. While there she received the Scholarship in Perpetuation of the Spirit of Anika Der Cahill presented by Kevin McKenzie and John Meehan. Her roles with the Studio Company included: Lead in Oblivion by Jessica Lang, Blue pas de deux in Return to a Strange Land by Jeri Killian, Lead in Bitter Moon by Natalie Weir, Allegro Brilliante by George Balanchine, soloist in Moto Verso by Scott Rink, soloist in School Work by William Tuckett from The Royal Ballet, Lead in Robert Hill’s Marimba.

Kristi was invited to join the main company of ABT in 2000 by Kevin McKenzie. In 2007, Kristi was promoted to a soloist. Her roles include: The Siren in George Balanchine’s The Prodigal Son, Queen of Dryads and Mercedes in Don Quixote, Katherine in Christoper Wheeldon’s VIII, Odalisque and Lead Pirate Woman in Le Corsaire, Zulma and Batilde in Giselle, Lead Maiden in Alexei Ratmansky’s Firebird and the principal couple in Symphony #9, Leading roles in Twyla Tharp’s Rabbit and Rogue and The Upper Room, Fourth Pas de Deux in Anthony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading, Step sister and Twig in James Kudelka’s Cinderella, Partisan Woman in The Green Table, Lead woman in Paul Taylor’s Airs, Diana in Sylvia, Two Swans and Princess in Swan Lake, 1st song in Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, many leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty (staged by Kevin McKenzie and Gelsey Kirkland), Soloist in Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, Ballo de Regina by George Balanchine, Principal in Kirk Petersons Amazed in Burning Dreams, Pas de deux with Marcelo Gomes in Petite Mort and Sinfonietta by Jiri Kylian, Lead in WorkwithinWork by William Forsythe, Lead Lover in Experience in Pillar of Fire, An Episode from his Past in Jardin Aux Lilas both by Antony Tudor, Lead role in Mark Morris’s Gong, Leading roles in Roberts Hills Marimba and Concerto #1, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet with Robert Hill’s Project Ballet Theatre performed with Rasta Thomas, The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Le Grande Pas Classique, and numerous other classical and contemporary pas de deux’s in show’s across the country, roles created in Harrison Tribute by Stanton Welch, Leading roles created in Jorma Elo’s C to C and Glow Stop. Performed with various choreographers and in pieces performed throughout New York City, the country, and internationally.

In 2009, Kristi was awarded Pointe magazine’s “Standout Performance” for her role as The Siren in The Prodigal Son. In 2005, Dance Magazine named her one of the Top 25 to Watch. Included among her numerous awards are: 1st place and High Honor award at the 1999 New England Ballet Awards, 1st place and High Score award at the 1998-99 New York Dance Olympics, 1st place, for two consecutive years, at the New York Dance Championships, and scholarship and top overall entrant for the 1997 Rochester Invitational.

In between seasons with ABT, Kristi has performed Edward Liang’s Distant Cries and Alex Ratmansky’s Bolero, for The Morphoses Company under the direction of Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez. She also toured various locations in Spain with Angel Corella and Stars Company performing William Forsythe’s WorkwithinWork, Don Quixote suite, and Stanton Welch’s Clear. She has toured all around the country and world performing on stages such as, The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, The White House in Washington DC, China, Japan, Russia, Oman, France, London, Korea, and numerous other international and regional locations.
Her teachers and choreographers include: Alexei Ratmansky, Jorma Elo, Christopher Wheeldon, Benjamin Millepied, David Howard, William Burmann, Kirk Peterson, Susan Jones, Georgina Parkinson, Irina Kolplakova, Nancy Raffa, Lupe Serrano, Christopher Carr, David Parsons, Natalie Weir, Mark Morris, Jacques Cesbron, Cynthia Harvey, Jean-Pierre Bonnefeux, John Meehan, Kevin McKenzie, Natalia Makarova, Roslyn Anderson, William Forsythe.
Kristi was also a model and spokesperson for Gaynor Minden, as well as modeling for Capezio, Freed, Martha Stewart Magazine, Quest Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Glamour magazine, and Saks Fifth Avenue catalog.

Kristi teaches classes at numerous locations in the United States to students ranging in age from 5 and up. She instructs master classes, workshops, ballet intensives, and coaches at schools in the New York City area and beyond. She focuses on technique, quality of movement, port de bras, and preparation for the stage. Kristi teaches all levels of technique, pointe, partnering classes. She is also a private coach to many local students and professionals. Along with her husband, former ABT dancer Isaac Stappas, she teaches partnering classes as well. Her goal is to help each dancer attain his/her goals and full potential while being positive and helpful.