Jennie Somogyi was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, and raised in Alpha, New Jersey. She began her ballet training at age seven, with Madame Nina Youskevitch. Ms. Somogyi entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, when she was nine years old. She was cast as Marie in George Balanchine's The NutcrackerTM the following year. In the spring of 1993, Ms. Somogyi was made an apprentice with New York City Ballet. In the fall of 1994, she was invited to join the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. Ms. Somogyi was promoted to the rank of soloist in 1998 and became a principal dancer in December 2000.
Other Performances
In May of 2002, Ms. Somogyi appeared in the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography," dancing in Chiaroscuro and Viola Alone.
Honors
In 2002 the Princess Grace Foundation awarded Ms. Somogyi its highest honor, the Statue Award. She is also the recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise and the Martin E. Segal Award.
Portrait © Paul Kolnik