Remembering Ben Stevenson O.B.E.
Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., was a decorated and acclaimed ballet dancer, teacher, ballet director and choreographer who passed away in March 2026 at the age of 89. Stevenson’s profound impact on dance spanned decades and continents, shaping countless careers and elevating ballet companies to global prominence. Regarded as the Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater and Co-Director of the now defunct National Ballet, he choreographed more than 30 ballets, including Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Dracula and the beloved parody The Nutty Nutcracker. He was known as a master storyteller with the amazing ability to tell a
story onstage for audiences of all kinds.
For his lifetime of achievement, Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. He also received three gold medals at the International Ballet Competition (1972, 1982, 1986), the Dance Magazine Award in 2000 and the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005. In 2018, Mr. Stevenson was acknowledged by the Chinese government as one of the most influential Foreign Experts in the past 40 years since China initiated its policy on Reform and Opening Up.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is currently rehearsing Stevenson’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will be performed with the PBT Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh from May 15through 17 at the Benedum Center. Some of the other works that PBT has performed from Stevenson’s choreography include:
– Alice in Wonderland (1999)
– Cinderella (1993, 1995, 2002)
– Cleopatra (2000, 2003)
– Dracula (1997, 1999, 2004, 2011, 2017)
– Four Songs (2003)
– Three Preludes (2026)
Read more about Ben Stevenson’s amazing life and artistry at the Ben Stevenson Trust.