Harper Watters - Proud, Black, Gay and Out, Houston Ballet Soloist

Hi Dancers! Hope you've all been doing well :) This week's dancer is Harper Watters! He is a soloist for the Houston Ballet company and is an openly gay man. This is significant because ballet companies tend to look down on minorities, and at the very least don't accept them into their companies. He's extremely open about his sexuality. Not only that, but he loves to advocate for dancers and people apart of the LGBTQ+ community. He's proud to be out! He's also well known for posting numerous dance videos/work out videos all while doing his routines in heels!

"In dancing my first principal role as an African-American gay ballet dancer, every hurdle and obstacle has taught me that I am worthy, I am capable and I am fabulous" - Harper Watters

Harper Watters was born in Atlanta, GA, but was adopted at two weeks old and raised in Dover, NH. He started tap and jazz classes at an early age. He began his training at Portsmouth School of Ballet. At the age of 15, Harper auditioned and received a full scholarship to Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts, a boarding school in Natick, Massachusetts. Prior to auditioning, Harper was enrolled in dance classes three times per week at a dance competition studio. Walnut Hill offered him the opportunity to further his study of dance and train among teachers and peers who shared the same passion. Watters was a member of Houston Ballet II from 2009 - 2011. In 2011, Watters competed at the Prix de Lausanne Ballet Competition where he won 6th overall as well as the contemporary dance award. Watters joined Houston Ballet as an apprentice in 2011. Since then, Watters has danced a variety of roles, from a variety of the world's leading dance choreographers. He has enjoyed dancing roles such as Performer in Stanton Welch's La Bayadère, Lead Flower in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker, and more! Regardless of the pandemic, he is still dancing everyday, and keeps his fans up to date by posting on all his social media accounts.

Cite:

https://www.houstonballet.org/explore/artists/soloist/harper-watters/#:~:text=Originally%20from%20Dover%2C%20New%20Hampshire,Ballet%20II%20from%202009%20%2D%202011.&text=Watters%20joined%20Houston%20Ballet%20as%20an%20apprentice%20in%202011.

https://www.theharperwatters.com/about

https://houstoniamlife.com/story/harper-watters/

Here are some videos of Harper!

Hope you enjoyed reading about this week's dancer! Come back next week to see who we feature!

Talk soon!