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Eli Raphael Gruska was born in Los Angeles, California, where he began his formal dance training with Marat Daukayev. He continued his studies at The Royal Ballet at age 16. Upon graduation, he joined the ABT Studio Company, where he performed works by Stefanie Batten Bland, Lauren Lovette, Ethan Stiefel, and Stanton Welch. He danced with Houston Ballet from 2021-2023, performing works by George Balanchine, Cathy Marston, Trey McIntyre, and Arthur Pita, among others. In 2023, he joined BalletMet under the leadership of former New York City Ballet soloist Edwaard Liang. At BalletMet, he performed in works by Liang, Justin Peck, Ma Cong, and Yue Yin, and danced leading roles in Romeo and Juliet (Paris) and The Nutcracker (Cavalier). Gruska joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2024.

Portrait © Erin Baiano