Christine Dunham's early training was under the direction of Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson. At the age of 12,she was offered a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. Ms. Dunham was appointed a Soloist in 1985 and then Principal Dancer in 1989 with the American Ballet Theatre. As a ballerina, Ms. Dunham is highly recognized for her authoritative interpretations of the major classical ballerina roles. Two of her favorite partners have been Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.