{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}} {{short description|American ballet dancer}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Aran Bell | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|10|07}} | birth_place = Bethesda, Maryland, US | nationality = | citizenship = | education = | occupation = Ballet dancer | years_active = 2014–present | height = | spouse = | partner = | children = | website = <!-- {{URL|website}} --> | current_group = American Ballet Theatre | former_groups = | dances = | module = }} '''Aran Bell''' (born October 7, 1998) is an American ballet dancer. He was featured in the 2011 documentary ''First Position'', and became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre at age 21.
==Early life and training== Bell was born on October 7, 1998, in Bethesda, Maryland.<ref name=dancemag>{{cite web |url=https://www.dancespirit.com/aran-bell-2326082328.html|title=Aran Bell|date=November 15, 2011|accessdate=September 2, 2020|work=Dance Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abt.org/people/aran-bell/|title=Aran Bell|website=American Ballet Theatre|accessdate=September 11, 2020}}</ref> As his father was a U.S. Navy doctor, Bell was homeschooled and lived in different parts of the country and in Naples, Italy.<ref name=Pointe/> Bell, who started ballet at age 4, trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for three years as well as with private teachers.<ref name=boys>{{cite web |url=https://www.dancespirit.com/the-boys-of-ballet-2326924289.html|title=The Boys of Ballet: Meet 8 Up-and-Coming Danseurs|date=March 1, 2017|accessdate=September 21, 2020|work=Dance Magazine}}</ref><ref name=Pointe/> He studied a variety of styles including the Vaganova method and Balanchine technique.<ref name=Pointe/> During the four and a half years Bell's father was stationed in Naples, Bell and his mother travelled to Rome six times a week to train with Denys Ganio, who had danced with Roland Petit's company.<ref name=Pointe>{{cite news|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/catherine-hurlin-aran-bell-abt-2641653187.html|title=American Ballet Theatre's Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell Are on the Fast Track Towards Stardom|magazine=Pointe Magazine|last=Harss|first=Marina|date=December 21, 2019}}</ref> He also studied under Fabrice Herrault in New York City, and was enrolled in American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive for several years.<ref name=boys/>
At age 11, Bell competed at the Youth America Grand Prix, where he won the overall prize in the junior division.<ref name=dancemag/><ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/movies/young-dancers-compete-in-the-documentary-first-position.html|title=Tracking Ballet's Pull on Youth Worldwide|last=Dargis|first=Manohla|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 3, 2012}}</ref> He was one of six competitors profiled in the 2011 documentary ''First Position''.<ref name=nyt/><ref name=dancemag/>
==Career== In 2014, at age 16, Bell joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, and stayed for a second year as a result of a growth spurt. He became an apprentice with the main company in 2016 and joined the corps de ballet the following year.<ref name=soloist>{{cite news|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/abt-2019-promotions-bell-ahn-2639095473.html|title=ABT's Aran Bell and Joo Won Ahn Have Been Promoted to Soloist|magazine=Pointe Magazine|last=Lansky|first=Chava|date=July 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Romeo>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/arts/dance/aran-bell-romeo-and-juliet-american-ballet-theatre.html|title=A Corps Dancer Leaps Into His Romeo Debut|newspaper=New York Times|last=Kourlas|first=Gia|date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, at age 19, Bell danced Romeo in ''Romeo and Juliet'' with principal dancer Devon Teuscher as Juliet, when the dancer scheduled to dance the role was injured.<ref name=Romeo/> The ''New York Times'' called his performance "an astonishingly impressive debut."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/arts/dance/romeo-and-juliet-american-ballet-theater.html|title=4 Buzzy 'Romeo and Juliet' Debuts, 1 Fainthearted Production|newspaper=New York Times|last=Macaulay|first=Alastair|date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> The following year, he represented ABT at the Erik Bruhn Prize with colleague Catherine Hurlin,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/2019-erik-bruhn-prizewinners-2632763294.html|title=Congrats to 2019 Erik Bruhn Prize Winners Siphesihle November and Catherine Hurlin|magazine=Pointe Magazine|last=Lansky|first=Chava|date=March 25, 2019}}</ref> made his debut as Prince Siegfried in ''Swan Lake'' and Prince Désiré in ''The Sleeping Beauty'', and was promoted to soloist.<ref name=soloist/> In 2020, though some of his major debuts were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bell was promoted to principal dancer at age 21, which was unusually young.<ref name=principal>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/arts/dance/american-ballet-theater-promotions-pandemic.html|title=American Ballet Theater Promotes Dancers Despite Pandemic Slump|newspaper=New York Times|last=Jacobs|first=Julia|date=September 10, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Aran}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:Entertainers from Bethesda, Maryland Category:American male ballet dancers Category:American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Category:21st-century American ballet dancers Category:Dancers from Maryland Category:American expatriates in Italy