Nikolaj Hübbe

Hübbe was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began his dance training at age 10 at the Royal Danish Ballet School and became an apprentice to the Royal Danish Ballet in 1984. He was promoted soloist in 1988. He studied in both Paris and New York. His teachers include Kronstam, Kehlet, Ravol, and Bjornsson. Nikolaj's technique was already well known, when in 1986 he was awarded the silver medal in the Paris Ballet Competition, as well as the French Critics Prize. Whilst at the Royal Danish Ballet he created the role of Struensee in Caroline Mathilde (1991). He joined New York City Ballet in July 1992 as a principal dancer.

His performance with the Royal Danish Ballet as James in Bournonville's La Sylphide has been released to DVD. A powerful dancer whose height did not compromise his swiftness, he not only excelled in the Bournonville repertory but also in neoclassical ballets and in dramatic rôles like Onegin.

Since becoming artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, Hübbe has successfully staged new productions of Bournonville's Napoli (2009) and A Folk Tale (2011) as well as Marius Petipa's La Bayadère (2012).[2]

Hübbe's farewell at City Ballet was held at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, on 10 February 2008.

• Reuters, 5 October 2007, New Danish ballet chief at home with heritage

• Archival footage of Nikolaj Hubbe and Darci Kistler performing Apollo in 2002 at Jacob's Pillow
• Ballet Alert, 15 May 1999