Unity Phelan

Early life and training Phelan was born in Princeton, New Jersey. During this time, she also completed high school at the Professional Children's School, and graduated in 2012. Episodes, first pas de trois in Agon and a demi-soloist in Symphony in Three Movements. In 2016, she was chosen by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to create a lead role in American Rhapsody, and by Lauren Lovette in For Clara. Later that year, she debuted as Dewdrop in The Nutcracker. The following year, she originated a role in Pontus Lidberg's The Shimmering Asphalt.

Phelan was promoted to soloist in 2017. Since then, she has danced featured roles, including in "Emerald" from Jewels, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Liebeslieder Walzer, Orpheus, Divertimento No. 15; Robbins' Dances at a Gathering, In G Major and Antique Epigraphs; Wheeldon's Polyphonia and DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse; and Forsythe's Herman Schmermen. She has also created roles in Peck's Easy, Lovette's The Shaded Line and Ratmansky's Voices.

In 2017, she performed a pas de deux in Balanchine's Agon with then-American Ballet Theatre soloist Calvin Royal III, with Arthur Mitchell, who originated Royal's role, in the audience. Following the performance, Mitchell commented the ballet was "in good hands." The following year, after Mitchell's death, Royal and Phelan reprised the Agon pas de deux at his memorial. The same year, following the collaboration between New York City Ballet and Puma, she took part in the latter's promotional tour in Asia.

Phelan appeared in the 2019 film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, as a ballerina who is also training to be an assassin, with the dance sequences choreographed by Tiler Peck. She then appeared in a dream ballet sequence in the 2020 film, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, choreographed by Peter Walker. In 2020, she was featured in a campaign for Gabriela Hearst. Later that year, she danced in Andrea Miller's short film, New Song, which was made for the New York City Ballet.

In 2021, Phelan was promoted to principal dancer. Her promotion came soon after the company return to performing after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as multiple principal dancers' retirements. Ballets she performed since her promotion include Balanchine's Agon, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Apollo (as Terpsichore), Symphony in C, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Vienna Waltzes, La Sonnambula (as the Sleepwalker), A Midsummer Night's Dream (as Titania), Swan Lake, and Robbins' Piano Pieces. In 2022, she originated a role in Roberts' Emanon — in Two Movements. She stars as a ballerina in a fictional New York City ballet company in Étoile, a 2025 television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino.

Personal life While dancing full-time, Phelan also studied at Fordham University. She graduated in 2020, with a bachelor's degree in economics and organizational leadership.

Filmography Year Title Role Ref 2019 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Rooney / The Ballerina 2020 I'm Thinking of Ending Things Dancing Young Woman 2025ÉtoileJulie