Crystal Pite

Crystal Pite is a Vancouver-based choreographer and artist. She is a trained dancer, but during her entire dance career she has also worked as a choreographer. In 1995, she was awarded—the youngest ever—the Clifford E. Lee Choreographic Award. After a dance career in her native Canada, she joined the Ballett Frankfurt in 1996 under the direction of William Forsythe, where she stayed for five years.  Through the years she has collaborated both as a dancer and co-creator in several of Forsythe’s works.

Pite has created choreographies for Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (where she was also the resident choreographer between the years 2001-2004), Ballet British Columbia, the Alberta Ballet, and Ballet Jorgen, among others, as well as for many free-lance groups.  She has also choreographed and performed in several films.

In the year 2001 Pite returned to Canada where she founded her own company – Kidd Pivot.  She is still active as a dancer, and performs herself in the works she choreographs for her company. Kidd Pivot, which has already received numerous prizes, tours both nationally and internationally.  Pite is also active as an artist and musician.

In spring 2008, Crystal Pite created Matter of a Maker directly for Cullberg Ballet. In November 2009, for the first time ever, the company made an entrance at the small stage at Dansens Hus with Pite’s acclaimed work xspectacle which later on was performed at the main stage.