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| Photo by Sharen Harris Bradford |
A former dancer, Bruce Wood had studied at the School of American
Ballet under the tutelage of the legendary George Balanchine. After a brief engagement with the New York City Ballet, he refined
his Balanchine training by dancing three years as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet. At the age of 21, he joined Les
Ballets Jazz de Montreal as a principal dancer, and for the next four years he performed and taught all over the world. It was in 1995 that Mr. Wood was
approached by a small dance company in Austin, Texas to create a ballet for them. Having never choreographed before, he was
somewhat apprehensive. But like every other challenge he had ever faced, he dove right in and completed the challenge. The
results caused a sensation in the vibrant world of Austin’s dance community. Shortly thereafter, the Bruce Wood Dance
Company was formed and moved to Fort Worth, the city that Mr. Wood considers home. The Bruce Wood
Dance Company was formed in 1995 as a showcase for the acclaimed choreography of Mr. Wood, who also served as the Company’s
Artistic Director. During the past decade, Wood has created over 50 ballets for BWDC as well as for other dance companies,
including Orlando Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. In 2004, Wood was commissioned to create a
work to honor the United States Army infantry, and spent several weeks at Fort Benning in Georgia, interviewing troops and
listening to their private thoughts and personal stories. The resulting piece, Follow Me: Brother,
debuted at the RiverCenter in Columbus, GA, and garnered Mr. Wood universal acclaim from
critics and audiences alike.
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