2024 Princess Grace Award
Nominated by: Houston Ballet
Chris Hellman Dance Honor
Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Eric Best began dancing around three years old. His older brother was into musical theater, and he would stand outside a dance studio trying to copy movements outside, when one day the instructor invited him in, and he was in it from there. As a pre-teen he really began to gravitate towards ballet. Encouraged to explore summer intensive programs, Best attended NYC Ellison Ballet, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Houston Ballet Academy before joining Houston Ballet II in 2021. That year he attended Jacob’s Pillow where a Zoom meeting with Stanton Welch turned into his first promotion into the Company.
Houston Ballet Soloist Eric Best in Stanton Welch’s Clear for Houston Ballet Academy Spring Showcase.
Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.
Houston Ballet Soloist Eric Best in Stanton Welch’s Tu Tu.
Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2023). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.
Houston Ballet Soloist Eric Best in Stanton Welch’s Tapestry.
Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2023). Courtesy of Houston Ballet.