05 September 2001
In September 2001, Boston Ballet welcomed Mikko Nissinen as the Artistic Director of Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School. Born in Helsinki, Finland, Nissinen began his dance training at age ten with The Finnish National Ballet School, and launched his professional dance career at age 15 with The Finnish National Ballet. He continued his studies at The Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, graduating in 1980. Nissinen went on to dance with Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, where he was a principal dancer for ten years.
Since 2001, Nissinen has cultivated a dynamic collection of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary repertoire, ranging from full-length classical ballets and masterworks by George Balanchine, to new works by some of the finest contemporary choreographers today.
Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen teaching Boston Ballet Company Class, circa 2001
Unsigned photograph
Boston Ballet Archives