ANDREW MURPHY, PRINCIPAL Birthplace Sydney, Australia Dance Training Stanley Williams Rudolph Nureyev Joined the Company as a Principal 2003 Other Companies Birmingham Royal Ballet The Australian Ballet Favorite Role Gaveston in David Bintley's Edward II Review "Andrew Murphy, the dudest of dudes, is a classical ballet prince, awaiting the bourréeing entrance of his princess, Monica Zamora, who dives into his arms. He is romantically besotted." -David Dougill (The Sunday Times of London review of the ballet Western Symphony) One defining moment... Of all the experiences in my life, the defining moment would have to be sharing the birth of my daughter with my wife. Andrew Murphy was born in Sydney, Australia.   He began his dance training at the age of ten in Canberra, Australia with Betsy Sawer.   Mr. Murphy also studied under the guidance of Kelvin Coe, Gary Norman, Dale Baker, and David Ashmole.   He trained under the guidance of Stanly Willams, Johnny Eliasen, Jurgen Schneider, Wilhelm Bumann, Jonathan Kelly, Desmond Kelly, and Rudolf Nureyev. In 1989 Mr. Murphy joined The Australian Ballet.   He was promoted to soloist in 1991 and to senior soloist in 1993.   Mr. Murphy danced principal roles in Maina Gielgud’s production of The Sleeping Beauty; Graeme Murphy’s production of The Nutcracker; Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote; Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon; John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew; Andre Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina; Maurice Béjart’s Songs of a Wayfarer and Le Concours; Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow; Sir Frederick Ashton’s A Birthday Offering; George Balanchine’s Symphony in C and Tchaikovshy Pas de Deux; Ninette de Valois’ Checkmate; Mikhail Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Jiří Kylián’s Forgotten Land and Sinfonietta; Harald Lander’s Etudes; Glen Tetley’s Voluntaries; Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc; and Stanton Welch’s Of Blessed Memory and Divergence.  Mr. Murphy created roles in Stephen Baynes’ The Catalyst and Beyond Bach.   In 1996 Mr. Murphy joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet as a senior soloist and was promoted to principal dancer in 1998. Mr. Murphy continued to expand his repertoire to include principal roles in the Galina Samsova/David Bintley production of Giselle; Peter Wright's productions of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and The Sleeping Beauty; Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, Elite Syncopations, and Song of the Earth; David Bintley’s Edward II, Far From The Madding Crowd, Hobson’s Choice, Arthur part I and part II, Choros, Concert Fantasy, Flowers of the Forest, and Tombeaux; Sir Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations, Les Patineurs, Scenes de Ballet, Symphonic Variation, Voices of Spring, The Dream, and The Two Pigeons; George Balanchine’s Agon, The Four Temperaments, Symphony in Three Movements, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, Orpheus, and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue; Hans van Manen’s Grosse Fuge and Five Tangos; and Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room. Mr. Murphy created the role of Lancelot in David Bintley’s Arthur 1 and Arthur 2, Romeo in Shakespeare Suite, the autumn section of The Seasons, principal roles in Nutcracker Sweeties and The Protecting Veil; James Kudelka’s Le Baiser de la Fee; Lila York’s Sanctum; and Stanton Welch’s Powder. In 2003 Mr. Murphy joined Houston Ballet as a principal dancer.  Mr. Murphy continues to expand his repertoire to include principal roles in Ben Stevenson’s production of The Nutcracker and Four Last Songs; Stanton Welch’s Pecos Bill; George Balanchine’s Apollo, La Valse, and Theme and Variations; and Lila York’s Celts.  Mr. Murphy has created principal roles in Natalie Weir’s The Host; and Stanton Welch’s Big Sky and Cline Time. Mr. Murphy has appeared as a guest artist in galas throughout Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.  He has also received the Vasiliev Award of Encouragement at the International Ballet Competition in China.  Mr. Murphy, his wife and daughter make their home in Houston, Texas.  He also enjoys golf and gardening. Headshot: Pam Francis Photo: Drew Donovan