Peter Schaufuss

Peter Schaufuss is a Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and director born in 1949 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He comes from a family deeply rooted in dance: his father, Frank Schaufuss (1921–1997), and his mother, Mona Vangsaae (1920–1983), were both professional ballet dancers. Schaufuss began his formal training at the Royal Danish Ballet School at the age of seven before going on to join the Royal Danish Ballet as a performer.

His career expanded well beyond Denmark. In 1980, Schaufuss appeared on Broadway, with credits that include Makarova and Company and Coppelia. His work in the international dance world led him to a series of prominent leadership roles. He served as artistic director of the English National Ballet from 1984 to 1990, and in 1988 he established the English National Ballet School. That same year, the Danish government knighted him in recognition of his contributions to the arts. He subsequently became artistic director of the Berlin Ballet, a position he held from 1990 to 1994, before returning to his home country to serve as artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet from 1994 to 1995.

In 1997, Schaufuss founded the Peter Schaufuss Ballet, a company based in Holstebro, Denmark, the same year his father passed away. He also owns three performance venues in Edinburgh, Scotland: Rose Theatre, The Basement Theatre, and Saint Stephens.