In this 50th anniversary milestone video, we feature dancer/choreographer Edward Villella, whose storied career started under the legendary George Balanchine as principal dancer for the New York Ballet. From 1968 to 1974, he served on the NEA’s National Council on the Arts, and became the founding artistic director of Miami City Ballet (a frequent NEA grantee) in 1985, serving until 2012. In 1997, he received the National Medal of Arts.