Director Hopes Saint Louis Ballet Will Leap Ahead

This week, Patch introduces you to Gen Horiuchi, artistic director of the Saint Louis Ballet and executive director of the Saint Louis Ballet School, located in Chesterfield.

Gen Horiuchi's resume reads like a ballet dancer's dream. He won a major national dancing competition and ballet scholarship at the age of 16. He attended a premier American ballet school. At 18 years old, Horiuchi joined one of the top ballet companies in the world. Ballets have been created for him by world-renowned choreographers. He has starred on Broadway and the London stage. And he has choreographed an opening ceremony at the Olympics.

Horiuchi's story began in Tokyo, where he studied at his parents' dance studio. Both his parents were professional dancers. When he was 16, he traveled to Switzerland where he won an international competition for dancers aged 15 to 18, the 1980 Prix de Lausanne.

Horiuchi moved to New York City that year to study at the School of American Ballet, the teaching arm of the New York City Ballet (NYCB), which is one of the top ballet companies in the world. “It was definitely a culture shock,” Horiuchi said. “To move from Asia—to live by myself in New York City. It was a big move for me.”

In 1982, Horiuchi was invited to join the NYCB as a dancer by artistic director George Balanchine—regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet. It was a life-defining moment.

Horiuchi was named a principal dancer in 1989 and remained with the NYCB for 15 years, performing with artists such as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. During his tenure with the company, both Balanchine and subsequent artistic director Peter Martins created ballets especially for him.

“Working with Balanchine is hard to describe,” Horiuchi said. “I had grown up knowing about Balanchine—with him in my head. His dance vocabulary, his repertoire and knowledge was incredible. It was intimidating, but it was a treasure to me.”

His Broadway credits include Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's, Song and Dance and Cats as Mr. Mistoffelees. Horiuchi would go on to play the same role in London in 1998, becoming the first performer to play the lead role on both the Broadway and London stage. Horiuchi said it's easier for a classically trained artist to do musical theater than the other way around. There is a difference in attitude between theater and dance, though.

“As a performer in musical theatre, the overall responsibility is to entertain the audience,” Horiuchi said. “In ballet, we are telling you something.”

In 1998, Horiuchi choreographed the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. “That was incredible,” Horiuchi said. “To do that in front of all those international athletes. It was quite something. I felt very connected with the atmosphere.”

Horiuchi came to perform with the Saint Louis Ballet to fill in for an ill dancer. He was offered the position of artistic director. It was a tough decision for him. “It was difficult. I had been living in New York for 20 years, and once you're a New Yorker, you're always a New Yorker,” Horiuchi said. “I thought I'd live forever in New York City. I took the opportunity as a lifetime opportunity.”

He had two primary goals when he took the helm of the struggling company: to introduce St. Louis audiences to classical and modern ballet and to build the school, where attendance had dwindled to 40 students. He separated the school—which teaches only ballet—and moved it to Chesterfield. Now there are more than 300 students. “You can't have a ballet company without a school to train dancers,” Horiuchi said.

The professional company of dancers has grown too. “Twenty-two dancers are employed throughout the year,” Horiuchi said. “Most of them—90 percent—are from outside of St. Louis. It's an international company.”

The school added private music lessons in piano, violin, flute, clarinet and saxophone. “I'm a piano player,” Horiuchi said. “So was George (Balanchine). It's important to have music training. Dancers have to read music and keep time.”

Horiuchi said he is happy with the growth of the St. Louis Ballet since he became artistic director.

“We're getting better each year,” Horiuchi said. “We'll get to where I want to be. We still need to build our audience—to get the word out—and that's my challenge over the next five years. I want St. Louis to know we have a ballet company.”

The is currently accepting students for their dance camps beginning in July. Visit the school website to register online or call (636) 537-1998. The professional company will present Romeo and Juliet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, June 24-26. For information and to purchase tickets, visit the St. Louis Ballet website.

Each notable neighbor is asked a series of unrelated questions to offer us some insight into what makes them who they are.

What's your favorite movie of all time? The Turning Point. Shirley MacLaine spent some time with us. She inspired me as a dancer.

What's your favorite food? Japanese food.

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island, what single thing would you most want with you? Ballet shoes. So I can practice.

If you could have a conversation with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be? George Balanchine, now that I'm older. I met him at 16 years old. If I met him now, I would enjoy it more.

Who was your role model for life? Misha (Mikhail Baryshnikov). He still dances. I still dance occasionally. Misha is closer to me, although Rudy (Rudolf Nureyev) is successful as a choreographer. Misha never choreographs.

Who's your favorite movie dancer? Fred Astaire.