Kyra Nichols

a native of Berkeley, California, is the daughter of Sally Streets, a member of New York City Ballet during the 1950s. Ms. Nichols began her early training with her mother, and at age 13 she began attending summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in the spring of 1974 and later that same year joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. She was promoted to Soloist in 1978 and then to the rank of Principal Dancer in 1979.

Among the ballets in which Ms. Nichols has been featured at New York City Ballet are George Balanchine's BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET (fourth movement), GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER (Sugarplum Fairy and Dewdrop), "Emeralds" and "Diamonds" from JEWELS, LIEBESLIEDER WALZER, MOZARTIANA, RAYMONDA VARIATIONS, LA SONNAMBULA, LA SOURCE, SQUARE DANCE, STARS AND STRIPES, SYMPHONY IN C, TSCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX, TSCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2, TSCHAIKOVSKY SUITE NO. 3 ("Theme and Variations"), UNION JACK, VIENNA WALTZES, and WALPURGISNACHT BALLET. Ms. Nichols has also danced Jerome Robbins' AFTERNOON OF A FAUN, DANCES AT A GATHERING, and IN G MAJOR, and Peter Martins' BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO and THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy, and Carabosse). Ms. Nichols danced the lead role (Odette/Odile) in Mr. Martins' full-length version of Tschaikovsky's SWAN LAKE during the Company's 50th-anniversary season in spring 1999.

Ms. Nichols originated roles in Robbins' ANTIQUE EPIGRAPHS, BRAHMS/HANDEL (choreographed with Twyla Tharp), THE FOUR SEASONS (Spring), I'M OLD FASHIONED, OTHER DANCES (NYCB premiere), and PIANO PIECES; William Forsythe's HERMAN SCHMERMAN; Mr. Martins' BEETHOVEN ROMANCE, POULENC