Benjamin Needham-Wood


Benjamin Needham-Wood
Born in Massachusetts, Ben returns to the Louisville Ballet for his third season. While his dance education focused primarily on classical ballet technique, Ben has studied a variety of dance forms including modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, character dance, and acrobatics. Since joining the Company, he has appeared in such classical ballets as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Cinderella, and has performed principal and featured roles in contemporary works by Adam Hougland, Amy Seiwert, and Helen Pickett. As a choreographer, Ben has created works for the Louisville Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase, the Louisville Ballet School Youth Ensemble, Impact Dance Project, and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music’s Winter Showcase. In June 2009, Ben competed in the 10th New York International Ballet Competition where he was invited to perform Paul Taylor’s Aureole pas de deux in the Gala performance, receiving a favorable review from The New York Times. Ben recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, earning his BFA in Ballet.