TIIT HELIMETS

Principal, San Francisco Ballet

Tiit Helimets was born in Viljandi, Estonia and received his ballet training at the Tallinn Ballet School.
In 1996 Mr. Helimets joined the Estonian National Ballet as a soloist, and was appointed a principal
dancer, within six months, that same year. Mr. Helimets' repertoire included Prince Desire and Bluebird
in The Sleeping Beauty, Albrecht in Giselle, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and
Daphnis in Daphnis and Chloe.
In 1999 Mr. Helimets joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet and was promoted to principal dancer in
2002. Notable for being an elegant classical dancer and superb partner, Mr. Helimets has expanded
his repertoire to include such classical roles as Albrecht in David Bintley's production of Giselle, the
Prince in Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker, Siegfried in Wright's production of Swan Lake
as well as showing a more dramatic side as Romeo in David Bintley's Shakespeare Suite as well as
Romeo in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, and a keen comic bent as Fred Beenstock in Bintley's
Hobson's Choice and the Principal role in MacMillan's Elite Syncopations. He has also danced the role
of Lancelot in Bintley's Arthur, William Boldwood in Bintley's Far from the Madding Crowd, The Young
Man in Frederick Ashton's The Two Pigeons, Colas in Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee and Franz in Peter
Wright's Coppelia,Van Manen's Five Tangos. Mr. Helimets joined the San Francisco Ballet as a
Principal in 2005 where his roles include The Prince in Helgi Tomasson's The Nutcracker, Siegfried in
Swan Lake, Balanchine's Apollo and Allegro Brilliante, Summer in Wheeldon's Quaternary, Tomasson's
Fifth Season, and Possokhov's Magrittomania.
Mr. Helimets has also danced roles in ballets by contemporary choreographers including principal roles
in George Balanchine's Western Symphony, Concerto Barocco, Apollo, Ashton's Voices of Spring,
Dante Sonata, Enigma Variations, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Scenes de Ballet, Cranko's
Brouilliards, Bintley's Carmina Burana, Les Petit Riens, Flowers of the Forest, and Concert Fantasy,
Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room, and Stanton Welch's Powder. He also created Summer in Bintley's
The Seasons and Apollo in Bintley's Orpheus Suite.
In 1999 Mr. Helimets received an award from the Arts Council of Estonia for his performances in The
Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet.