Teacher, coach, and occasional choreographer Benjamin G. Bowman is a veteran of the stage, with 46 years of experience in ballet, contemporary dance, musical theater, commercial voice-over, and acting.
In his professional career, he danced with Kansas City Ballet, Fort Worth Ballet, New York City Ballet, Twyla Tharp Dance, in “Movin’ Out” on Broadway (OBC, originating the role of “James”), and in Martha Clarke’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” off-Broadway. His summerstock credits include productions of “On the Town”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “The Music Man”, “Damn Yankees”, “My Fair Lady”, and “Phantom”; acting credits include featured and lead roles off-Broadway and for television in the Pacific Rim market (you haven’t lived until you’ve seen yourself dubbed in Japanese!).
Mr. Bowman was introduced to ballet through a pilot outreach program with the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, studying under Sonja Tyven. He continued his education at Kansas City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and, as a high school sophomore, returned to NCSA, before attending SAB full-time the following year.
Since retiring from performing as a dancer, Mr. Bowman has worked as a teacher, repetiteur, rehearsal director, and coach. He has been associated with Ballet Tech, Rosie’s Theater Kids, Eglevsky Ballet, Kanyok Arts Initiative, and has taught open ballet class and masterclasses in Twyla Tharp’s movement at Steps, Peridance, Ballet Arts, Contra Costa Ballet, Dierdra Hawkins Academy of Dance, and on multiple conservatory programs.
Mr. Bowman has taught company class for Sacramento Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Eglevsky Ballet, where he was also rehearsal director, and staged work on Company C Contemporary Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, Wayne State University, and Trinity Laban, in Greenwich, England.
While Mr. Bowman doesn’t consider himself to be a choreographer, per se, he has created a baker’s dozen or so ballets and contemporary pieces over the years, notably co-choreographing “Indoor Fireworks” with Company C founder and director Charles David Anderson, to critical acclaim.
