Debra Austin
photo credit for Debra Austin - George Balanchine observing as Debra Austin performs Ballo Della Regina Photo, Steven Caras
Debra Austin received a scholarship to the school of American Ballet when she was twelve years old. At the age of sixteen she was hand picked by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet. While there, she danced many principle roles by both Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. One of these was filmed for a PBS television special, "Live From Lincoln Center". Additionally, she appeared with Jerome Robbins in a TV special for NBC, "Live From Studio H". Ms Austin also toured with the company throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union. Leaving New York City Ballet, she went on to join the Zurich Ballet of Switzerland. There she danced many principle roles in works by Balanchine as well as Panov, Von Manon and Heinz Sporli. When Rudolph Nureyev choreographed Manfred on the company, Ms. Austin was given the opportunity to dance one of the leading roles with him as well. She toured with Nureyev and the Company to Italy, London, England's Convent Gardens. Returning to the United States, she was invited to join the Pennsylvania Ballet as principal dancer. There she went on to dance most of the Company's contemporary works by many choreographers as well as the classics such as Swan Lake, Coppelia, A Mid-Summers Night Dream and both roles in Giselle and Myrtha. She danced the Sylph in La Sylphide, staged by Peter Martins, now director of the New York City Ballet, to again dance with Rudolph Nureyev, alongside Suzanne Farrell, as one of the three ballerinas in Balanchine's Apollo. she danced at a Gala Performance at the Academy of Music, hosted by Bill Cosby, in which Grover Washington played the saxophone. Ms. Austin was asked by Lynne Taylor-Corbett to be her assistant in Ms. Taylor-Corbett's "The Dancing Princesses" commissioned by Edward Villella to be choreographed for Miami City Ballet. This work premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on April 25, 1995. Ms. Austin has taught in many schools in Florida including the American Cultural Center in Miami, the Palm Beach Dance Center and the Miami City Ballet School. Ms. Austin relocated to North Carolina in the summer of 1998 with her husband Marin Boieru (principal dancer, Carolina Ballet) and daughters Bianca and Olivia to join the faculty of the Cary Ballet Conservatory, directed by Suzanne Clark and also to serve as the "Ballet Master" for the Carolina Ballet, directed by Robert Weiss, training their professional company members and staging performances.