Erik Hoffman was born in Hagerstown, MD, and trained for a decade with the West Virginia Youth Ballet, under the artistic direction of Carolou Brown Russell. Following high school graduation, Erik moved to New York City, to train for an additional two years before transitioning into a trainee program with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and subsequently, with Ballet West, in Salt Lake City. He had the opportunity to perform with both companies, in productions such as Lar Lubovitch’s Othello, Gerald Arpino’s The Nutcracker, and Adam Sklute’s The Sleeping Beauty.

 

Erik spent his summers training at American Ballet Theater, Ballet Austin, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Orlando Ballet. He also studied under New York City Ballet’s legendary ballerina, Suzanne Farrell, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Erik danced with St. Louis Ballet from 2011-2016, and danced notable roles in a variety of ballets choreographed by George Balanchine (Chaconne, Divertimento No. 15, Serenade, Western Symphony), Christopher D’Amboise, Brian Enos, Emery Lecrone, Adam Sage, Pam Tanowitz, Michael Uthoff, and former New York City Ballet principal, and St. Louis Ballet artistic director, Gen Horiuchi. 

 

In 2018, Erik graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, on the campus of Washington University Medical Center, in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s worked as a Registered Nurse at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and currently, with Children’s National Hospital, in Washington D.C.