{{short description|American ballet dancer (born 1981)}} '''Amy Watson''' (born 12 May 1981 in Oceanside, California)<ref name=lex/> is the artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet and a former American ballet dancer. She joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 2000, becoming a principal dancer in 2007. In 2011, she was honoured with the prestigious Order of the Dannebrog, and in 2021 made a Knight 1. Class. In October 2021 she retired as a professional dancer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=_pernille |date=2021-10-15 |title=Amy Watson danser af |url=https://www.scenen.dk/amy-watson-danser-af/ |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=Scenen.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref> On 31 October 2024, Watson was appointed artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, replacing Nikolaj Hübbe.
==Early life== Watson was born on 12 May 1981 in Oceanside, California. As her father was in the military, the family were frequently on the move. While in England, she spent two years at the Royal Academy of Dance before attending a summer course with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia when she was 12. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, she attended courses with Avery Ballet.<ref name=rs>{{cite web|url=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2012/022012/02162012/682364|title=Spotsylvania ballerina impresses Danish queen|author=Robyn Sidersky|publisher=Frederiksburg.com|date=16 February 2012|accessdate=2 May 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140502112043/http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2012/022012/02162012/682364|archive-date=2 May 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She was also taught by George Balanchine dancers in Chautauqua, N.Y., after which she studied at the Pacific Coast Ballet Company in California. When she was 15, she attended the School of American Ballet in New York.<ref name=fls>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=20000721&id=ljIzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QwgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3642,5316218|title=Amy Watson lands|publisher=The Free Lance-Star|date=21 July 2000|accessdate=2 May 2014 |language=}}</ref>
==Career== In 1998, Watson was selected to attend a three-week course given by Suzanne Farrell in Washington. She performed so well that Farrell signed her up to go on tour with her ballet company where she remained for the next two years.<ref name=fls/> In July 2000, she was invited to join the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen where she became a soloist in 2003 and a principal dancer in 2007.<ref name=abt>{{cite web|url=http://www.abt.org/dancers/dancer_display.asp?Dancer_ID=339|title=Amy Watson, Exchange Artist|publisher=American Ballet Theatre|accessdate=2 May 2014 |language=}}</ref>
Her leading roles have included Aurora in ''The Sleeping Beauty'', Odette/Odile in ''Swan Lake'', Kitri and Mercedes in ''Don Quixote'', Teresina in Bournonville's ''Napoli'', and Olga in ''Onegin''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kglteater.dk/about-us/cv/a/amy-watson |title=Amy Watson |publisher=Det Kongelige Teater |accessdate=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140502111055/https://kglteater.dk/about-us/cv/a/amy-watson |archivedate=2 May 2014 }}</ref> She has also performed in modernistic works such as ''The Cage'', ''Chroma'' and Ohad Naharin's ''Minus 7''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/February-2013/Technique-My-Way-Amy-Watson |title=Technique My Way: Amy Watson |author=Johanna Krik |publisher=Dance Magazine |date=February 2013 |accessdate=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503020620/http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/February-2013/Technique-My-Way-Amy-Watson |archivedate=3 May 2014 }}</ref> Her role as Anita in ''West Side Story Suite'' also required her to sing. Although her brother is a Broadway performer, she found it quite a challenge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://danceviewtimes.typepad.com/eva_kistrup/2011/05/us-tour-2011-interview-with-amy-watson-.html|title=US Tour 2011 Interview with Amy Watson |author=Eva Kistrup|publisher=Dance View Times|date=7 May 2011|accessdate= |language=}}</ref>
In early 2014, Watson became an exchange artist with the American Ballet Theatre where she debuted with Myrta in ''Giselle'' in Minneapolis.<ref name=abt/>
She ended her career in October 2021, dancing the role of Lady Capulet in John Neumeier's Romeo and Juliet. <ref>{{Cite web |last=_pernille |date=2021-10-15 |title=Amy Watson danser af |url=https://www.scenen.dk/amy-watson-danser-af/ |access-date=2026-01-22 |website=Scenen.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref>
==Appointment as artistic director== On 31 October 2024, Watson was appointed artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, effective 1 November 2024, replacing Nikolaj Hübbe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/14108182/amy-watson-bliver-ny-kunstnerisk-chef-for-den-kongelige-ballet?publisherId=3885992&lang=da|title=Amy Watson bliver ny kunstnerisk chef for Den Kongelige Ballet|publisher=Ritzau|date=31 October 2024|accessdate=31 October 2024 |language=da}}</ref> The ''New York Times'' reported she commented: "This theater gave me a second homeland and a wonderful career that I could have never dreamed of. I want to serve in the highest capacity for the theater and to give back.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/arts/dance/royal-danish-ballet-nikolaj-hubbe-replacement.html|title=After Turmoil, Royal Danish Ballet Taps Veteran Dancer as Leader|publisher=New York Times|author=Hernandez, Javier C.|date=31 October 2024|accessdate=1 November 2024 |language=}}</ref>
==Family== Watson is married to the writer Daniel Tafdrup (born 1983) with whom she has two children: Hazel (2019) and Woody (2023).<ref name=lex>{{cite web|url=https://lex.dk/Amy_Watson|title=Amy Watson|publisher=lex, Danmarks Nationalleksikon|author=Meinertz, Alexander|date=31 October 2024|accessdate=31 October 2024 |language=da}}</ref>
==Awards==
Shortly after Queen Margrethe II had seen her dancing ''Swan Lake'' in 2011, she was honoured with the Order of the Dannebrog.<ref name=rs/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Amy}} Category:Ballet masters Category:Royal Danish Ballet principal dancers Category:American prima ballerinas Category:American expatriate dancers in Denmark Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog