26 Facts About Peter Martins

Peter Martins was born on 27 October 1946 and is a Danish former ballet dancer and choreographer.

Peter Martins retired from dancing in 1983, having achieved the rank of danseur noble, becoming Co-Ballet Master-In-Chief with Robbins.

Peter Martins began his ballet training in 1953 with the Royal Danish Ballet.

Peter Martins joined the corps de ballet in 1965 and was promoted to soloist in 1967.

Peter Martins left Denmark in 1970 and became a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, though he had been performing as a guest artist since 1967.

Peter Martins danced a wide variety of roles, but is most known for the titular role in Apollo and the Cavalier in Balanchine's Nutcracker.

Peter Martins retired from dancing in 1983, becoming Co-Ballet Master-In-Chief alongside Jerome Robbins, and assumed the job of sole Balletmaster-in-Chief in 1990.

However, early in his career as a balletmaster, Peter Martins faced criticism for perceived deviations from Balanchine's style.

Peter Martins served as the artistic director and chairman of faculty of the School of American Ballet, the training division of the NYCB and the venue through which it receives most of its dancers.

Peter Martins choreographed the Barbie movies Barbie in the Nutcracker and Barbie of Swan Lake.

Peter Martins took a leave of absence that month from both the New York City Ballet and its School of the American Ballet, after the allegations came to light, and in January 2018 he retired.

Peter Martins received a Dance Magazine Award and Cue's Golden Apple Award in 1977.

Peter Martins is a champion of contemporary music, working often with composer John Adams.

Peter Martins was named Man of the Year by the Danish American Society, 1980.

Peter Martins had a long-term romantic relationship with Heather Watts during her career as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

In 2017, Peter Martins was accused of picking up Watts and slamming her into a cement wall.

In ballerina Gelsey Kirkland's book Dancing on My Grave, she describes Peter Martins dragging Watts up and down a flight of stairs.

Peter Martins was married to Lise la Cour, a ballerina he danced with at the Royal Ballet of Denmark.

In July 1992, Peter Martins was arrested and held for five hours after his 28-year-old wife of seven months, New York City Ballet principal ballerina Darci Kistler, phoned the police for help.

Peter Martins's wife filed an affidavit accusing him of assaulting her, pushing and slapping her, and cutting and bruising her arms and legs and continuing to hit her after she fell under his attack.

Several people who knew the two well claimed it wasn't the first time Peter Martins had hit her.

Peter Martins pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while impaired.

In December 2017, Peter Martins was arrested after a three-car crash and charged with drunk driving, refusal to take a breath test, and backing unsafely.

Peter Martins pleaded not guilty in Ardsley Village Court, and his license was suspended.

Kistler and Peter Martins have one daughter, Talicia Tove Peter Martins, born June 13,1996.

Peter Martins has a son, Nilas Martins, who was a member of NYCB before himself retiring.