The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Villella, Edward
1936–, American ballet dancer, b. Long Island, N.Y. Villella studied at George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet, joining the New York City Ballet in 1957. He soon became a principal dancer with a large repertoire of roles, most notably The Prodigal Son. Villella’s dancing is remarkable for its tremendous vigor and dynamic style. He served as artistic coordinator of the Eglevsky Ballet (1979–84) and as director of the Oklahoma Ballet (1983–85), before founding the Miami City Ballet in 1986.
