A Life in Motion

Full Biography

Anjali Austin’s career path is indicative of an interdisciplinary lifestyle. Her early training in ballet at San Francisco Ballet School led to thirteen-years of performing with the internationally recognized Dance Theatre of Harlem (1977-1990). There, Austin studied under and performed works with iconic teachers and choreographers Arthur Mitchell, Agnes de Mille, Louis Johnson, William "Mr. Bill" Griffith, Alice Elliott, Tanaquil Le Clercq, Glen Tetley, Valerie Bettis, Geoffrey Holder, Frederick Franklin, as well as other significant artists of that genre. Ballets she performed included Billy the Kid, Swan Lake (Act II), Serenade, Flower Festival, Dougla, Voluntaries, Concerto Barocco, Prince Igor, Paquita, and Frankie and Johnny - in which she held a vocal role. Also to her credits are PBS television specials Fall River Legend, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Creole Giselle.

During this period Ms. Austin trained in the Pilates method for seven years under revered teacher Kathleen Stafford Grant. This led to her discovery of The Gyrotonic Method where she studied under legendary teachers Hilary Cartwright and Juliu Horvath – whom she trained with and completed her Gyrotonic certification. She was among the first group of Specialized Gyrotonic Master Trainers approved to conduct pre-trainings and teacher trainings within the system.

Austin’s next role -- Assistant Professor of Dance at Florida State University’s School of Dance, where she taught ballet, pointe, choreographed, and mentored undergraduate and graduate dance majors. She introduced The Gyrotonic method to the program and was successful in acquiring funding support to purchase each of the specialized pieces of equipment. Rising to the rank of Professor and Chair, she served the institution and community for close to thirty years.

Throughout Ms. Austin’s time at FSU, she continued her creative pursuits as artist and performer. Most recently, she developed a solo performative work, Live Oak, based on thirty-three quilts designed and created by her maternal grandmother -- Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill. Alongside this she curated an exhibition of twenty-two of these quilts with personal memorabilia titled, The Quilts of Mrs. Gussie Beatrice Arnold Hill, which was on display at Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) June 13, 2024 – February 8, 2025. Austin is also working on a new choreographic piece titled Aeolian, has had her article, Classical Perspectives: Performance, Pedagogy, and (Changing) Cultures published in the anthology Antiracism in Ballet Teaching, and is completing a second article recounting Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 1988 Soviet Union tour.

Professor Austin holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, conducts lectures on the history and legacy of Black classical ballet dancers, teaches master classes in ballet, conducts trainings in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis, and is revitalizing her creative prowess as an independent artist.