Maria Calegari

Maria Calegari (born March 30, 1957) is an American ballet dancer, teacher and répétiteur. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1974 and became a principal dancer in 1983. She left the company in 1994, then occasionally performed until 2004. She also teaches ballet and began working as a répétiteur for the Balanchine Trust and Robbins Rights Trust in 1996 and 2003 respectively.

Early life and training Calegari was born on March 30, 1957, in New York. She was raised in Bayside, Queens. She received her ballet training locally before entering the School of American Ballet in 1971, when she was 13, and was taught by Alexandra Danilova.

Career Calegari joined the New York City Ballet in 1974. then was promoted to soloist that spring. In the former, Suzanne Farrell was originally cast in her role but she did not have time to rehearse due to scheduling conflict with other ballets at the festival, therefore Calegari created the role and performed it on opening night. In 1982, she originated a role in Robbins' The Gershwin Concerto.

Calegari was promoted to principal dancer in 1983, She danced lead roles in various Balanchine ballets, including Agon, Serenade, Swan Lake, Jewels, Mozartiana, Union Jack, Apollo, Symphony in C, Liebeslieder Walzer Vienna Waltzes, Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze, Variations Pour une Porte et un Soupir, and A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania. Dances at a Gathering as well as Helgi Tómasson's Menuetto. She also performed principal roles in televised performances of Balanchine's Apollo, Vienna Waltzes, Union Jack and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Calegari left the New York City Ballet in 1994. She then gave occasional performances, including with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, until 2004. She also began teaching ballet, including at her Connecticut-based school between 2002 and 2004. American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet. In 2010, she and Bart Cook opened CaleCo Ballet Studio in North Salem, New York. In 2011, she was among 30 ballerinas awarded the Jerome Robbins Award.

Personal life Calegari is married to Bart Cook, also a New York City Ballet principal dancer.

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