Earlier this month, Time magazine released its second special issue devoted to optimism called “The Art of Optimism.” And in one of its articles, it listed the Fil-Am lead principal dancer of English National Ballet as one of the “34 people changing how we see our world.”
“Dance is very freeing. On a stage or in a studio I am able to give that freedom to others,” Jeffrey Cirio, 27, tells Time.
Aside from being a full-time dancer at the classical ballet company in London, Cirio also co-founded a collaborative dance collective called Cirio Collective with his sister. The group’s goal is to “create a space for dancers and choreographers to create work without the constraints of traditional conservatories,” writes Time. Cirio Collective regularly performs at the Vineyard Arts Project in Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
Cirio grew up in Pennsylvania and joined Boston Ballet in 2009. There he became a principal dancer in 2012. Three years later, he left Boston to join American Ballet Theatre as a soloist and got promoted to principal after a year. He worked with English National Ballet last season as a guest artist for four months and after that stint, he joined the London-based company.
The “34 people changing how we see our world” list tells various stories including of those “artists of all ages who keep their creative spirit alive.” It also includes 18-year-old Kinsale Hueston, the 2017 National Student Poet, and the 94-year-old actress Cicely Tyson who won an honorary Oscar last year.
Featured image courtesy of Time
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