Michael Uthoff
Born in Santiago, Chile, to former dancers, Ernst Uthoff and Lola Botka of the Jooss Ballet and founders of the Chilean National Ballet, Michael Uthoff started dancing after graduating from high school. He entered the School of Dance of the University of Chile and a year later arrived in New York City with a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship to attend Julliard School of Music, The School of American Ballet and Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. His talents flourished rapidly and eighteen months later, he joined the José Limón Dance Company, touring the United States. After being spotted by Robert Joffrey, Uthoff was asked to join The Joffrey Ballet and in just four years rose to principal dancer, performing the leads in works by Joffrey, Kurt Jooss, Gerald Arpino, Anna Sokolow, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and many others.
Uthoff choreographed his first work for The Joffrey Ballet in 1967 and since then, his ballets have been seen all over the world. They are in the repertory of The Joffrey Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Ballet Arizona, California Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Honolulu Ballet Theatre, Chilean National Ballet, Ballet SODRE of Uruguay, Ballet Nacional of Guatemala, Ballet Clasico 70 of Mexico, Cia. Nacional of Mexico, Shanghai Ballet in China, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, the New World School of the Arts, and various colleges and universities. Uthoff has also choreographed for opera companies internationally, several commercials, and has appeared on television as a dancer himself.
Early in his career, Uthoff joined the First Chamber Dance Company of New York under the direction of Charles Bennett as assistant director/choreographer. Subsequently, Uthoff accepted a teaching position at SUNY Purchase and at the same time moved to Hartford, Conn., to establish the Hartford Ballet. For 20 years he developed the Hartford Ballet into a national institution that toured extensively throughout the US. During this period Uthoff was also a guest teacher across the country, and a body movement lecturer at the Yale University Opera Department. Following that, in 1992 Uthoff accepted the position of artistic director at Ballet Arizona. The next year, Uthoff hired Kee Huan Han to develop and run the Arizona Ballet School, affiliate of Ballet Arizona, which is presently the leading dance school in the entire state of Arizona.
He is presently acting as artistic advisor to the Dance Now Ensemble in Miami, Florida; California Ballet in San Diego, California; and serves as artistic advisor to the Dance Festival at Montecarmelo in Santiago, Chile. Uthoff continues guest teaching and choreographing throughout the United States and abroad, including the National High School Dance Festival; Portland Opera Performing Institute, Interlochen; and New World School for the Arts in Miami, Florida. In 2003 he developed in partnership with New World School of the Arts of Miami, Florida, the Michael Uthoff DanceTheatre, which premiered in the spring of 2003. In early 2006 he accepted the position of Artistic & Executive Director of Dance St. Louis
In 2010, Uthoff received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He holds an honorary laureate degree from Saint Joseph College in Hartford. In October 2007, he received the Chilean North American Institute's Distincción Ernst Uthoff Award for his distinguished 40-year career and outstanding contributions to dance. In January 2013 he received the Arts & Education Award in St. Louis for an incredible career in the arts.
Uthoff is the father of Michelle UthoffCampbell and the proud grandfather of Owen and Ivy Campbell. He resides in the Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis with his partner Flor Hernandez.
Uthoff choreographed his first work for The Joffrey Ballet in 1967 and since then, his ballets have been seen all over the world. They are in the repertory of The Joffrey Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Ballet Arizona, California Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Honolulu Ballet Theatre, Chilean National Ballet, Ballet SODRE of Uruguay, Ballet Nacional of Guatemala, Ballet Clasico 70 of Mexico, Cia. Nacional of Mexico, Shanghai Ballet in China, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, the New World School of the Arts, and various colleges and universities. Uthoff has also choreographed for opera companies internationally, several commercials, and has appeared on television as a dancer himself.
Early in his career, Uthoff joined the First Chamber Dance Company of New York under the direction of Charles Bennett as assistant director/choreographer. Subsequently, Uthoff accepted a teaching position at SUNY Purchase and at the same time moved to Hartford, Conn., to establish the Hartford Ballet. For 20 years he developed the Hartford Ballet into a national institution that toured extensively throughout the US. During this period Uthoff was also a guest teacher across the country, and a body movement lecturer at the Yale University Opera Department. Following that, in 1992 Uthoff accepted the position of artistic director at Ballet Arizona. The next year, Uthoff hired Kee Huan Han to develop and run the Arizona Ballet School, affiliate of Ballet Arizona, which is presently the leading dance school in the entire state of Arizona.
He is presently acting as artistic advisor to the Dance Now Ensemble in Miami, Florida; California Ballet in San Diego, California; and serves as artistic advisor to the Dance Festival at Montecarmelo in Santiago, Chile. Uthoff continues guest teaching and choreographing throughout the United States and abroad, including the National High School Dance Festival; Portland Opera Performing Institute, Interlochen; and New World School for the Arts in Miami, Florida. In 2003 he developed in partnership with New World School of the Arts of Miami, Florida, the Michael Uthoff DanceTheatre, which premiered in the spring of 2003. In early 2006 he accepted the position of Artistic & Executive Director of Dance St. Louis
In 2010, Uthoff received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He holds an honorary laureate degree from Saint Joseph College in Hartford. In October 2007, he received the Chilean North American Institute's Distincción Ernst Uthoff Award for his distinguished 40-year career and outstanding contributions to dance. In January 2013 he received the Arts & Education Award in St. Louis for an incredible career in the arts.
Uthoff is the father of Michelle UthoffCampbell and the proud grandfather of Owen and Ivy Campbell. He resides in the Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis with his partner Flor Hernandez.