Isabella Boylston Becomes a “Princess”

Isabella Boylston recently joined a rather elite club at ABT—“The Princesses,” fellow corps de ballet member Blaine Hoven’s nickname for the nine current ABT dancers who have won Princess Grace Awards. “It  was such an honor just to win,” says Boylston, “and then to realize that I’m a part of that group”—which includes Hoven, David Hallberg and Gillian Murphy (who also won the foundation’s Statue Award this year)—“makes it even more special.”

Boylston is especially grateful to receive this kind of recognition while still in the corps. “It’s reassuring,” she says. “I feel like I’m heading in the right direction.”

A lush adagio dancer with a quietly magnetic stage presence, Boylston danced principal roles in both Clark Tippet’s Some Assembly Required and Benjamin Millepied’s new work, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once, during ABT’s fall season at Avery Fisher Hall.

Other notable 2009 Princess Grace Award winners include Jeffrey Cirio of Boston Ballet, Joseph Walsh of Houston Ballet and Corey Scott-Gilbert of Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. —MF