Sterling Baca is from Larkspur, Colorado. He began his training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet at the age of eleven and then studied with world renowned teacher German Zamuel. Sterling attended five ABT Summer intensives on full scholarship as a National Training and Bender Foundation Scholar. He joined the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre on full scholarship in January 2009 and was the recipient of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Award in the Fall of that same year.
Sterling joined ABT II in September 2010 where he performed leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jessica Lang and others. He joined ABT's main company as an Apprentice in May 2011 and was promoted to the Corps de Ballet later that year. Sterling joined Pennsylvania Ballet as a Principal Dancer under the directorship of Angel Corella in August of 2016.
Sterling’s stand our roles while with American Ballet Theatre include:
Ballroom Von Rothbart in Kevin McKenzie’s ‘Swan Lake’.
The 2nd Sailor in Jerome Robbins’ ‘Fancy Free’.
Paris in Kenneth Macmillan’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Alessandra Ferri as Juliet.
Lilac Fairy Cavalier and Prince Charming in Alexei Ratmansky’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
Stephano in Alexei Ratmansky’s ‘The Tempest’.
He also performed featured roles in works by Twyla Tharp (Brahms-Hayden Variations), Mark Morris (After You), Liam Scarlett (With a Chance of Rain) and Marcelo Gomes (Aftereffect).
His Classical and Balanchine repertoire with Pennsylvania Ballet include:
* Romeo in Kenneth Macmillan’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Prince Charming in Ben Stevenson’s ‘Cinderella’.
Prince Desire in ‘Sleeping Beauty’.
Prince Siegfried in ‘Swan Lake’.
Albrecht in ‘Giselle’.
Solor and Brahmin in ‘La Bayadere;’.
Basilio and Espada in ‘Don Quixote’.
Conrad, Ali and Lankendem in ‘Le Corsaire’.
Apollo in ’Apollo’.
The male lead in ‘Theme and Variations’.
Principal couple in Diamonds and Emeralds from ‘Jewels’.
The 2nd Pas de Deux in ‘Stravinsky Violin Concerto’.
The 4th Movement of ‘Western Symphony’.
The Cavalier in ‘The Nutcracker’.
He has also performed leading roles in works and world premieres by world renowned choreographers including: Nacho Duato (Remansos), Jiri Killian (Petite Mort), Christopher Wheeldon (DGV), Jorma Elo (Trigger Touch Fade), David Dawson (Third Light), Stanton Welch (Clear), Matthew Neenan (Somnolence & It Goes That Way), Helen Pickett (Tilt), Nicolo Fonte (Ghost Stories), Garrett Smith (Reverberance) and Brian Sanders (Chicken Bone Brain).
Sterling has performed in international galas and festivals including:
Monterrey International Ballet Gala 2017.
Dance St. Louis Gala 2018 & 2019.
Panama Ballet Festival 2019.
New Orleans Ballet Association Gala 2019 & 2020.
Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition Gala 2020.
YAGP’s “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” in Tampa Bay 2020.
Sterling’s other noteworthy accomplishments include:
Being featured on Season 4 of Dance212 in 2010, a popular online series documenting young dancers as they pursue a career in New York City.
Staring in ‘On a Grass Field’, which won Best Short Film at the 2014 New Jersey Golden Door Film Festival.
Being featured on the cover of Dance Magazine in their “25 to Watch” issue in 2016.
Creating the role of @hilarion in Joshua Beamish’s World Premiere ‘@giselle’ in 2019.
Sterling is certified in ABT’s National training Curriculum and has been on the faculty of the School of Pennsylvania Ballet since 2017. He was the first ever Artist in Residence for Londonderry Dance Academy in the Fall of 2020 and frequently guest teaches nationally and internationally.
Mr. Baca is the Wyncote Foundation Principal Dancer.