Houston Ballet and its artists come together from a multitude of backgrounds and experiences with a common goal – to bring the beauty and artistry of ballet to our community. Get to know these artists and what they are experiencing during this ongoing crisis.
About the Artist
Jackson Miles was born in Denver, Colorado, where he began classical ballet training at 11 years old. He first attended Houston Ballet Academy’s Summer Intensive Program in 2015, then joined the Professional Program the following year. Jackson is currently a member of HBII, Houston Ballet’s second company.
Q&A with Jackson Miles
What do you miss about performing?
I miss nearly everything about performing. I miss the inexpressible feeling of dancing in front of an audience, and the excitement and unique experiences that performing live has to offer. I also miss going to the theater and watching ballet, as I always leave moved and inspired by the incredible dancers of Houston Ballet. However, I miss the learning experiences of performing the most. A performance is the culmination of the time, energy and thought that is put into the rehearsal process, with each process bringing different technical and artistic demands. The guidance and knowledge passed on from teacher to student in these preparations have always been very special to me.
When we return, what do you hope to see as a male dancer?
As a male dancer, I hope to continue seeing the dance world be a place of comfort for young boys like it was for me. In my time as a dance student, it has been incredible to see the commonplace stigma against young boys in ballet shrink, and the public perception of men in ballet increasingly shift from being effeminate and weak to strong, athletic and graceful. Beyond this, I hope to see initiatives to make ballet accessible to the greater community, and to make dance companies and schools more inclusive and representative of their communities.
Why do we need to #SaveTheArts?
Art has played a central role in my life since I was very young and could not imagine living without it. During this pandemic, the world has experienced the power of the arts as healing escapism from the troubles of our new reality. Saving the arts during this time of need is extremely important – live art will reinvigorate and comfort audiences after the pandemic and will continue to be a unifying force within communities as time goes on.
Save the arts today and keep our dancers dancing by donating at give.houstonballet.org/academy.