Nina Pillar: Ballet Master of Legat System (CYDP Dance Company)

Nina Pillar, a child prodigy and Boston’s first prima ballerina, began studying ballet at the age of 7. She was the protege of Mme. Ana Roje, and now carries the legacy of Nicholas Legat at the Cambridge Youth Dance Program. Nina danced her first principal role at age thirteen, and two years later, in 1963, made her professional debut with the Boston Ballet, dancing the role of Lisette in La Fille Mal Gardee. While studying privately with Ana Roje, she performed as principal dancer with several dance concert dance companies in New York and in Boston. Although most of Nina’s ballet training has been in the Legat system, she has studied with E. Virginia Williams, Leon Danielian, Patricia Wilde, Hector Zaraspe, Vera Nemtchinova, George Balanchine, Norman Walker, and others. Nina has danced in Stars and Stripes, Scotch Symphony, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, La Fille Mal Gardee, Balanchine’s Variations, Norman Walker’s Reflections, Pas de Dix, and Sleeping Beauty. She has performed with Leon Danielian, Anton Dolin, and Edward Vilella. Her gift for teaching and the experience of her professional career provide dance students of all levels a unique opportunity to study a power system of “Legat Ballet” known for its virtuosity and elegance.

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