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Philip Neal

b. 1923

American ballet dancer

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About Philip Neal

Born 1923. Philip Neal is an American ballet dancer.

Philip H Neal (born in Richmond, Virginia) is a former principal dancer with New York City Ballet.

Career He studied from age 11 at the Richmond Ballet School. After studying there, Edward Villella arranged a summer scholarship for him at NCYB's School of American Ballet. In 1985 Philip won the silver medal at the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition.

The following year Neal graduated magna cum laude from St. Paul's School and was a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' Presidential Scholar of the Arts and as a consequence performed at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He subsequently enrolled full-time at SAB and also trained at the Royal Danish Ballet School in Copenhagen, joining NYCB's corps de ballet in 1987.

Four years later Neal was promoted to soloist and at the end of the 1992–1993 winter season to principal dancer. Neal's farewell performance took place Sunday, June 13, 2010, and consisted of ballets by George Balanchine.

Originated roles

Peter Martins

Guide to Strange Places Todo Buenos Aires

Kevin O'Day

Swerve Poems

Featured roles

George Balanchine Allegro Brillante Ballade Chaconne Cortège Hongrois The Nutcracker Divertimento No. 15 Jewels Diamonds A Midsummer Night's Dream Mozartiana Robert Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze Serenade Slaughter on Tenth Avenue Swan Lake Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 Western Symphony Who Cares?

Ulysses Dove Red Angels

Boris Eifman Musagète

Peter Martins Black And White Ecstatic Orange Fearful Symmetries Les Gentilhommes The Sleeping Beauty Prince Désiré Songs of the Auvergne Swan Lake Prince Siegfried The Waltz Project

Jerome Robbins Brandenburg Dances at a Gathering The Four Seasons Spring Glass Pieces The Goldberg Variations I'm Old Fashioned In G Major Interplay

Richard Tanner Ancient Airs and Dances

Television

PBS Live from Lincoln Center, New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography, 2002, Ancient Airs and Dances PBS Live from Lincoln Center, Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100, 2004, Liebeslieder Walzer

Footnotes

New York Times

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Important facts

Born
1923, Richmond
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
School of American Ballet
Employers
New York City Ballet

People in Philip Neal's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Philip Neal's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Philip Neal?

American ballet dancer

When was Philip Neal born?

Philip Neal was born in 1923 in Richmond.

What is Philip Neal's occupation?

Philip Neal is a ballet dancer.

What nationality is Philip Neal?

Philip Neal is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Philip Neal

· Wikidata: Q7184129

· DBpedia: Philip Neal

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Philip Neal. https://biography.guide/philip-neal/

MLA: "Philip Neal." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/philip-neal/.

Chicago: "Philip Neal." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/philip-neal/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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