Tristan Grannum*
Tristan Grannum is a professional ballet dancer, dance educator, and arts leader dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and access within classical ballet. A Brooklyn native, Tristan began his formal ballet training at age 14 at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts and Manhattan Youth Ballet. His commitment led to year-round training with the School of Pennsylvania Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he participated in outreach performances that deepened his belief in the transformative power of dance.
Tristan has received full scholarships to prestigious summer intensives, including the Harid Conservatory, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and Charlotte Ballet. In 2017, he earned first place in the contemporary ballet category at the Royal Dance Grand Prix in Beijing, China, under the direction of Nadege Hottier (Premiere Division).
Professionally, Tristan has performed with Brooklyn Ballet, Ballet Austin, Dayton Ballet, and the Black Iris Project, interpreting works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Septime Webre, Stephen Mills, Marianna Oliviera, and Tan Dao.
As an educator, Tristan has taught nationally and internationally, including at Canada’s National Ballet School during the International Association of Blacks in Dance Festival. He holds teaching certifications from the Mark Morris Teaching Artist Training Program and the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum (Primary-Level 3). He currently serves on the faculties of Brooklyn Ballet and the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Tristan’s leadership in arts education is evident from his tenure as Associate Artistic Director at the Brooklyn Center for the Arts, where he established over 15 dance programs within NYC public schools. In 2021, he was named an Emerging Dance Leader through Dance/USA’s DILT program under the mentorship of Peter Boal (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and was selected as a National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet for the 2021–2022 cohort. In 2025, Tristan was accepted into the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color.
Currently, Tristan serves as Director of Community Engagement and Rehearsal Director for Brooklyn Ballet, where he continues to build inclusive pathways for young dancers and supports the company’s mission to reflect the diversity of its community on stage and in the studio.
Adult Classes
Intro to Ballet I | Fall I Series
This series of classes is designed for students who have taken Intro to Ballet or are beginners who have relatively little experience with Ballet and want to continue learning. It will consist of developing skills at the barre and center, as well as traveling exercise across the floor. You will gain a better understanding of terminology, alignment, balance, artistry, sequencing, and space. This class is a perfect place to continue your education in the fundamentals of ballet in a non-competitive, fun environment with live musical accompaniment.