Biography

Daniel R. Durrett began his early dance training at Dr. Lyrica Joy Ministries Ballet School, then trained at UpTown Arts for two years. Cincinnati Ballet’s Artistic Director Victoria Morgan offered Durrett a full scholarship to continue his training at the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy. While attending the Houston Ballet summer intensive, he was invited to join Houston Ballet’s Second Company (HBII).

While in HBII, Durrett performed in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Ma Cong’s Calling, Garrett Smith’s Mortal Form, Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, and Stanton Welch’s Brigade, The Long and Winding Road, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and Blue. He was promoted in July 2016 to corps de ballet, and performed more works by Ben Stevenson, Stanton Welch, Justin Peck, and Alexander Ekman.

His Boston Ballet repertoire includes Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Jester), The Dream (Puck, Bottom), George Balanchine’s Agon (Bransle Simple), Chaconne (Little Pas de Deux), Diamonds (Demi Soloist), Emeralds (Pas de Trois), Rubies (Principal Man), Mozartiana (Gigue), Symphony in Three Movements (Jumping Man), and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (Pas de Trois), John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio), Lia Cirio’s After and Chaptered In Fragments, Jorma Elo’s Bach Cello Suites, Carmen, Le Sacre du Printemps, and Plan to B, William Forsythe’s Approximate Sonata, Artifact Suite, Blake Works I, Blake Works III, Défilé, Herman Schmerman, Playlist (EP), Pas/Parts 2018, and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Jiří Kylián’s Bella Figura, 27’52”, and Petite Mort, Nanine Linning’s La Mer, Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Mercutio, Benvolio), Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Nutcracker Prince, Snow King), Raymonda (Bernard), and Swan Lake (Pas de Trois, Lead Neapolitan, Pas de Cinq), Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote (Lead Traveler), Ken Ossola’s The Space Between, Justin Peck’s Everywhere We Go and In Creases, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Pas de Trois, Blue Bird), Helen Pickett’s To Be One and Petal, Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon, Jerome Robbins’ Dances At a Gathering (Brick), Fancy Free, and Leonid Yakobson’s Vestris.

In June 2015, Durrett received the gold medal in the Pre-Professional Division of the Indianapolis International Ballet Competition. He also won first and second place awards at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in Indianapolis and was a final round competitor at the YAGP finals in New York in 2013.

Durrett joined Boston Ballet as an artist of the Company in 2017. He was promoted to second soloist in 2022 and soloist in 2024.