Biography

Yuval Cohen began his early dance training with the Mehola Dance Company, where he studied folk and modern dance. After receiving an excellence scholarship from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation in 2017, he joined the Jerusalem Ballet School under the artistic direction of Nadya Timofeyeva. In 2018, Cohen won first place at Russia’s The Nutcracker International Ballet Competition and joined Russia’s Vaganova Ballet Academy, where he performed in The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. After graduating in 2021, he joined the Bolshoi Theatre and continued his career with Philadelphia Ballet. Cohen was promoted from Philadelphia Ballet II to apprentice, Company, and soloist.

Cohen’s repertoire includes Alvin Ailey’s The River (Pas de Trois), George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Cavalier) and Who Cares? (Liza), Angel Corella’s Carmen (Escamillo and Don José) and Le Corsaire (Lankedem), William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (Laurent), Lev Ivanov’s Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried and Rothbart), Juliano Nunes’ Connections (Pas de Deux), Marius Petipa’s Giselle (Hilarion), Le Corsaire (Ali), and The Sleeping Beauty (Gold), Samantha Dunster’s Snow White (Prince), and new works by Charles Askegard and Marco Pelle.

In 2023, Cohen won the Bronze Medal at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, becoming the first Israeli dancer to both reach the final round and receive a medal. His international guest appearances include performances at the Dance Magazine Gala in New York City, Splendida Cornice on Rai 3 in Milan, the Elisa y Amigos Gala in Mexico, and Giselle with Ballet de San Juan in Puerto Rico. He also toured Poland performing Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.

Cohen joined Boston Ballet as an artist of the Company in 2026.