Crystal Pite

Crystal Pite was born in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, and grew up in Victoria. She began her career as a dancer with Ballet British Columbia (Ballet BC) before joining William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt. She started choreographing for Ballet BC in 1990. Over her three-decade choreographic career, Crystal Pite has created over 50 works for numerous ballet companies, including the Royal Ballet London, Paris Opera Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Cullberg Ballet, Ballet Frankfurt, National Ballet of Canada, Ballets Jazz Montréal (as Resident Choreographer from 2001 to 2004), and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. She is currently the Associate Choreographer of NDT I, Associate Dance Artist of Canada’s National Arts Centre, and Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells in London. Crystal Pite is a member of the Order of Canada and has received numerous awards, including the Benois de la Danse, Canada Council Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, Grand Prix de la danse de Montréal, two UK Critics’ Circle Dance Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and the 2022 Performing Arts Award from the Canadian Governor General. She has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Simon Fraser University.

In 2002, she founded her company Kidd Pivot in Vancouver, known worldwide for its radical blends of dance and theater, characterized by a pronounced sense of humor and inventiveness. Crystal Pite's works are known for bravely addressing difficult and complex themes such as trauma, addiction, conflict, consciousness, and mortality; her bold and original vision has earned her international recognition and inspired an entire generation of dance artists.