KRISTIN HAKALA

Ballet

Kristin Hakala began her professional career at the age of sixteen with Nashville Ballet, and later became a principal dancer with Ballet West, where she performed the title roles in numerous ballets such as “Sleeping Beauty”, Amadeo Amodio’s “Carmen”, Birgit Cullberg’s “Miss Julie”, Ronald Hynd’s “Rosalinda” and Ben Stevenson’s “Cinderella”, as well as a full range of contemporary, classical, and neoclassical works. Her experience includes the work of acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Choo-san Goh, Hans Van Manen, and Jerome Robbins. She has performed internationally in China and Europe and has taught for institutions such as Ballet West, Maple Conservatory of Dance, UC Irvine, and Beijing Dance Academy, where she was invited as a Guest Professor. Kristin is also certified to teach yoga and Progressing Ballet Technique and she finds great joy in teaching dancers to be well rounded artists with healthy minds and bodies.

Photo by FPK Photography