Biography

Denise Lewis was born in Shelton, Connecticut, where at the age of 12, was invited to study at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She studied at SAB for seven years under the direction of George Balanchine and Peter Martins. Graduating in 1988, she became a member of American Ballet Theatre under the leadership of Mikhail Baryshnikov.

She enjoyed 12 fulfilling years with ABT, dancing in all of the major full-length ballets. Lewis’ corps de ballet and soloist roles included ballets such as; Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Cinderella, Othello, Coppélia, The Snow Maiden, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide, and the Nutcracker. She worked with such notable choreographers as Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, James Kudelka, John Neumeier, Agnes de Mille, Glen Tetley, and Natalia Makarova. Lewis’ repertory work is extensive and ranges from George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, to Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend.

During her time at ABT, Lewis performed in all major venues throughout the United States and the world, including theaters in Tokyo, Athens, Paris, London, Madrid, Palermo, Genoa, Vienna, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, and Istanbul.

Upon retiring from her professional career with American Ballet Theatre, Ms. Lewis began teaching at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School (JKO) in their Greenwich, Connecticut studios. She maintained a full-time master teaching schedule with studios throughout Connecticut while guest teaching for Walnut Hill School for the Arts in their Summer Dance Program.

Lewis joined Walnut Hill School for the Arts as the Associate Director of Dance in 2010. From 2020 – 2022, Lewis joined Boston Ballet School’s Professional Division at Walnut Hill School of the Arts as the Associate Director of Dance. Ms. Lewis is certified in the JKO Training Curriculum, National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM, CPT) and AAFA Group Fitness Instructor.

She holds certifications and has created and adapted TRX Suspension Training methods and practices specifically designed for dancers.

Lewis’ certifications also included the National Academy of Sports Medicine’s Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES).