Houston Thomas

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Houston embarked on his dance journey through the Joffrey Ballet Outreach Program under the tutelage of Pierre Locket. His passion for dance led him to further his education at the Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance upon its inception in 2008. He concurrently honed his skills at the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) and later attended the School of American Ballet. After graduating from The School of American Ballet in 2013, Houston found his artistic home with the Dresden Semperoper Ballett, rising to second soloist by 2018. His repertoire boasts pivotal roles in acclaimed works by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, William Forsythe, and David Dawson, among others. His performance in Justin Peck's Heatscape earned him a "Best Male Performance" nomination at the 2018 Dance Europe Critic Choice Awards. After a decade of performing with Semperoper, Ballett culminated in Houston's final performance during the 22/23 Season, marking the transition to focus exclusively on his choreographic career. Since then, Houston has created new works for schools and companies, including The Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, The Juilliard School, ABT Studio Company, Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance, Ballet San Antonio, The School of American Ballet, NY Choreographic Institute, and the Hamptons Dance Project. His works have been performed by Ballet 22 and the Columbia Repertory Ballet. In July 2022, Houston premiered Follow the White Rabbit at the Young Emergent Choreographers Contest in Biarritz, France, receiving a commission to create SKYWATCHER for the Opera National de Bordeaux.