Ethan Stiefel

Ethan Stiefel (born 1973 in Tyrone, Pennsylvania) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). He is the only son of a Lutheran minister who became a prison warden in New York; their last name is pronounced "Stee-fell" and is German for "boot." He is an avid motorcyclist. He grew up riding dirt bikes, currently owns a Harley-Davidson Wide Glide and once drove 5600 kilometres across the north-eastern US with wife, ballerina Gillian Mu... more

Ethan Stiefel (born 1973 in Tyrone, Pennsylvania) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). He is the only son of a Lutheran minister who became a prison warden in New York; their last name is pronounced "Stee-fell" and is German for "boot." He is an avid motorcyclist. He grew up riding dirt bikes, currently owns a Harley-Davidson Wide Glide and once drove 5600 kilometres across the north-eastern US with wife, ballerina Gillian Murphy, riding pillion He is also a Green Bay Packers fan. Stiefel began ballet training in Madison, Wisconsin at the Monona Academy of Dance at age eight. Like the majority of boys who fall into ballet, he fell into classical dance through his older sister, who was taking a class. The teacher was interested in getting Ethan to take class because boys in ballet are a rarity. He studied for two years at the Milwaukee Ballet School and at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet before moving to New York City to attend ABT's School of Classical... less