Askia Swift

San Francisco Ballet
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Geneva Ballet
Ballett Basel
Zürich Ballet: Guest

Askia Swift grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and trained at Baltimore School of the Arts, a School of American Ballet summer intensive, and the San Francisco Ballet School on scholarship. Swift became an apprentice with San Francisco Ballet in 1992 and only six months later, joined the corps de ballet.

Swift’s repertory with San Francisco Ballet included Stanton Welch’s Maninyas; Helgi Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake; and Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, as well as ballets by Mark Morris and George Balanchine.

His repertory with Ailey included Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s C# Street-Bb Avenue and the role of Sinner Man in Ailey’s Revelations, among many others.

He now works as a ballet teacher—for schools and companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—and as a pilates instructor.

Swift’s cousin Roger Cunningham was also a ballet dancer, who was a member of Boston Ballet and Béjart Ballet.

Sources:

Filmed dance including Askia Swift
Askia Swift, ProPilates Studio
Askia Swift, Interview En L’air
Swift, moving steadily to the fore Dancer: In constant motion, a talented Baltimore native builds a flourishing career with the San Francisco Ballet, The Baltimore Sun
Dance Diary, Backstage

See also:

Dance Study: Askia Swift #1, 1995, photo by Howard Schatz

Social media:

Instagram @askiaswift