Kirk Peterson is an American choreographer, dancer, and teacher whose career spans more than four decades and includes work with some of ballet’s most prestigious institutions. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Peterson began his training at age three at Wagner’s School of Dance — run by his mother and aunt, former acrobatic dancers Dottie and Honey Wagner — and went on to study ballet at Lelia Haller’s studio in New Orleans.
Building on his early training and professional foundation, his choreographic career began in earnest during his tenure as San Francisco Ballet’s resident choreographer from 1980 to 1985, establishing him as a distinctive creative voice in American ballet. He later broadened his reach beyond the concert stage, collaborating with Michael Smuin to choreograph two Broadway productions: Anything Goes (1987) and Shogun (1990). As Artistic Director of Hartford Ballet from 1993 to 1998, Peterson deepened his commitment to building repertoire, followed by six years as resident choreographer of Cincinnati Ballet from 2002 to 2008. His work has also been performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, BalletMet, San Francisco Opera, and The Royal Ballet School.
In 2006, Peterson was appointed an official répétiteur of the Antony Tudor Ballet Trust. Building on this achievement, the following year he received major commissions, including a full-length Othello for Alberta Ballet—which earned him a nomination for the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse in Moscow—and Javelin for Cincinnati Ballet.
Today, Kirk Peterson continues to work as a freelance choreographer and teacher.