Nathan Bender

Nathan Bender, originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, began his dance training at Northern Plains Dance. At the age of 17, he joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre school, where he performed in various classical and contemporary works during his training.

After graduating, Nathan joined The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate program. As a Graduate student, he was selected to perform in several company productions set by choreographers such as Susan Jaffe, Terrence Orr, and Balanchine Repetiteurs. At PBT, Nathan performed alongside the company in Michael Pink’s DRACULA, George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Susan Jaffe’s original Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, among other classical and contemporary works.

In 2022, Nathan joined BalletMet as a second company member. Throughout his time in Columbus, he performed alongside the company in The Nutcracker, Edwaard Liang’s ALICE, and Romeo and Juliet. The following season, Nathan joined Ballet Austin TWO. In Austin, he was chosen to perform as the boar, in Stephen Mills Grimm Tales, Trepak in the Nutcracker, and as a marketplace man in Mr. Mill’s Romeo and Juliet, among other roles.

This marks Nathan’s first season with Ballet Idaho.