Christopher Ruud

Growing up backstage at San Francisco Ballet, Ruud was immersed in professional dance and stagecraft from the start. Trained primarily at San Francisco Ballet School, he joined Ballet West in 1998 and was named Principal Dancer in 2004. Over 21 years as a leading artist there, he performed a wide range of classical and contemporary repertoire across the U.S. and internationally—including China, Cuba, Scotland, Canada, New York, and the Kennedy Center—dancing major roles in works by Balanchine, Kylián, Tharp, Forsythe, Ashton, Tudor, and Cranko. His choreography earned a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship and several NEA grants, and his company RUUDDANCES toured to Jacob’s Pillow. After retiring from dancing in 2019, Ruud joined Kansas City Ballet, where as Second Company Manager and Rehearsal Director he has staged and rehearsal directed works including Balanchine’s Rubies, Lila York’s Celts, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, while also spending time in the Kansas City community educating children and adults about ballet and live performance.