Meet Alan Hineline
May 17, 2017
Imagine a 17-year-old boy living in a small community in the middle of Ohio. He’s going to school, participating in gymnastics and starting to think about his future. What he doesn’t know is that his life’s path is about to change – in a big way. All because one fateful day someone exposed him to the art form that is ballet. Fast forward to today and imagine this same young man has travelled the world and is making an indelible mark on the dance field.
Meet Alan Hineline.
In May, Ballet Academy East will feature two of Hineline’s choreographic works in its Spring Performance. Hineline has made a significant impact on the ballet world in both the artistic and administrative realms. We wondered how a boy from the middle of Ohio became such a leading force in dance and thought you might find his story interesting too…
To know Alan Hineline, you’d surmise he had always dreamed of ballet. After all, he’s danced on stages from New York City to Tokyo. He’s choreographed unique works that have been performed worldwide. He’s taught thousands of students. He’s held executive positions in leading ballet organizations nationally and internationally.
What might be surprising is that Hineline didn’t grow up having a dream to be in the ballet world. This dream, it seems, had him.
“One day, a whole new world opened up for me. Someone dragged me to a local dance school. I had no prior exposure to or interest in ballet. But, after one class, and I was bitten,” recalls Alan of his first exposure to ballet. “I fell in love with ballet, but didn’t know how I could make a career of it and had no idea of the possibilities it held.”
Coming late to the game, Alan had to have a certain amount of tenacity to leap into the dance world. He found his way to New York and danced professionally in a variety of companies from classical to post-modern. This is where his love of choreography was sparked. He proceeded to develop a reputation for his modern approach to developing classically oriented works.
Hineline was enlisted to create work for a variety of organizations. During that time, he also developed a growing desire to lead a company. He served as COO and artistic director of the Ballet Philippines in Manila, where he honed his business acumen and mastered important lessons of leadership. He then used his leadership skills to serve as CEO of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and then Ballet San Jose.
Through all of his experiences, Alan has become an enthusiastic advocate for exposing children to dance. “I sit here today because of my exposure to the arts. My life’s path was set that day I was exposed to ballet,” shares Alan. “I’m a believer that ballet changes lives. I want students’ exposure to dance to be a springboard for success in their lives, no matter what career path they pursue.”
We are pleased and honored that our BAE students have had the opportunity to work with Alan Hineline to present his works, de l’innocence and Sans Nuages, in this Spring’s mixed repertory. And we know our students’ skills and lives have been forever enhanced from working with him.
