mr steven

steven beirens
              Joining our staff for 2009-10

Steve Beirens started his studies at the age of 12, at The National Ballet School of Antwerp, Belgium, under the direction of Jos Brabants. There he was taught by Annie Vancauwenbergh, Tom Vancauwenbergh, Pavel Vokum, Stephan Schuller and Alexander Prokofiev.

During his studies, Steve also worked with The Royal Ballet of Flanders, directed by Valery Panov. He also was selected to participate in The Rencontres Internationales de Baule in France, where he received the award for “Best Classical Dancer”.  

Following graduation (1989), Beirens danced for one season with Le Juene Ballet de France, where his numerous solo and principal roles included those in Flames of Paris, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Fille Mal Gardee, Don Quixote and Le Corsaire, among others.

From 1990 to 1991 Beirens danced with The Zuricher Ballet, under the direction of Uwe Scholtz. During this season, he danced many solo roles in Scholz’s choreography, including Schopfung, Schuman Symfonie, Tausend Grusse and Tocatta, as well as the Pas de Huit in La Sylphide.

In January of 1992, Pierre Wyss invited Beirens to Wiesbaden Ballet to perform the role of Apollo in his ballet Oedipus. In September of the same year, Steve joined The Royal Ballet of Flanders, directed by Robert D’envers. There he worked with such choreographers as Paolo Bartolucci, Peter Anastos, Attilion Labis and Menia Martinez. 

Ricardo Cue invited Beirens, while he was dancing with The Royal Ballet of Flanders, to participate in a gala performance in Murcia, Spain that honored Prima Ballerina Maya Plitzetskya. Cynthia Gregory also invited him to perform the “Pas de Deux” Stay With Me as part of The Career Transitions in Dance program.

 In October 1995, Beirens joined The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, under the direction of Gerald Arpino, as a principal dancer. While with The Joffrey, Beirens performed in ballets including Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, Ann Marie DeAngelo’s Stay With Me, George Balanchine’s Tchaicovsky Pas de Deux, and Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, Confetti, Suite Saints Sants, and Kettentanz. Choreographer Alonzo King created a role for Beirens in his Joffrey-commissioned Cante.

 From January 2001 trough December 2005, Beirens has worked as a Guest Dancer and Coach in numerous companies across the United States, including Tulsa Ballet, The Civic Ballet of Chicago, Maddison Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Dance Galaxy, Westside Ballet, LA Dance Theater, LA Chamber Ballet and New Mexico Ballet. Since 2003 he has been invited to teach and coach in Ballet Schools across the United States, including New Mexico Ballet, New Mexico University, Reif Art Center Minnesota, Dance Arts Tennessee, Idyllwild Arts School,  Los Angeles School of the Arts and Ballet Tech Ohio.

 In April 2007 he was appointed the position of Artistic Director of Ballet Quad Cities, were he served for one season.  During the season he choreographed ballets including The Nutcracker, Sentimenti, and Coppelia.