Jacques d'Amboise(1934-2021)

Jacques d'Amboise was trained in the School of American Ballet before joining the New York City Ballet in 1950. He soon went on to become a principal dancer. For over 3 decades, he danced with NYCB. During that time, he also choreographed several ballets. In 1976, D'Amboise founded the National Dance Institute in New York City, teaching children how to dance. NDI has since expanded into other cities and internationally. D'Amboise's efforts with NDI were filmed in documentary form in 1982 -- winning the Academy Award. D'Amboise has four children -- his daughter, Charlotte d'Amboise, has appeared in films, and his son, Christopher d'Amboise, is an accomplished dancer.