Biography

Haley Schwan, a Michigan native, began her journey in dance at age 5 doing Michael Jackson spins in the kitchen. She trained in jazz, tap, and contemporary extensively before choosing to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet at age 12. The concept of "freedom through discipline" that was introduced to her there is what ultimately led her to pursue ballet professionally. 
 
At age 16, she was invited to attend the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she had the honor of being one of the first Americans to dance on the Mariinsky Theatre stage. Upon graduating in 2010, she joined Staatsballett Berlin under the direction of Vladimir Malakhov. In her five seasons there, she performed a vast repertoire of classical and contemporary works, including solos created for her in Marco Goecke's And The Sky on that Cloudy Day and Itzik Galili's Open Square. 
 
Schwan moved to New York City in late 2015 to explore her art form from a new perspective as a freelance dancer and choreographer. She worked with Twyla Tharp and Emery LeCrone, tried her hand at acting in the immersive theater production of S. Dylan Zwickel's Here We Dance, and choreographed Iggy Azalea & Rita Ora's performance of "Black Widow" for the MTV VMAs.  
 
Inspired and re-energized, Schwan joins Boston Ballet for her first season in 2017. 

Repertoire

Nacho Duato, Sleeping Beauty (Hunters, Cinderella, corps de ballet); Vasiliy Medvedev / Yuri Burlaka, La Esmeralda (Friends of Esmeralda, Jokers Pas de 8, corps de ballet); John Cranko, Romeo & Juliet (Lilies, corps de ballet); Patrice Bart, Giselle (friends of Giselle, corps de ballet); Vladimir Malakhov, Four Seasons (Spring), La Peri (Odalisques, corps de ballet), La Bayadère (corps de ballet), Onegin (corps de ballet); Patrice Bart, Swan Lake (Hungarian, Waltz, corps de ballet), Nutcracker (corps de ballet); Heinz Speorli, Peer Gynt (corps de ballet); Boris Eifman, Tchaikovsky (corps de ballet); George Balanchine, Ballet Imperial (corps de ballet); Alexei Ratmansky, Namouna (corps de ballet); Marco Goecke, And the Sky on that Cloudy Day (rage solo, creation); Itzik Galili, The Open Square (main solo, creation); Tim Plegge, They (creation); Maurice Béjart, Ring Um Dem Ring (8 Valkyries); Angelin Preljocaj, The Nights (Love Pas de Deux, Vase trio); Mauro Bigonzetti, Caravaggio (11 couples)

Training 

Kirov Academy of Ballet [Jacquelin Akhmedova] Washington, D.C., USA (2004–2008); Vaganova Ballet Academy [Irina Sitnikova] St. Petersburg, Russia (2008–2010)

Career

Staatsballett Berlin; Twyla Tharp; Emery LeCrone Dance; Boston Ballet (Artist of the Company 2017)