Meet Sterling
Hometown: Larkspur, CO
Instagram: @sterlingbaca
Sterling Baca began his training at age 11 at the Academy of Colorado Ballet and later with world-renowned instructor German Zamuel. He then studied with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), at first attending five of their summer intensive programs (as a National Training and Bender Foundation Scholar) and later in their elite pre-professional program at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School with full scholarship.
Sterling joined Philadelphia Ballet, formerly Pennsylvania Ballet, as a Principal Dancer for our 2016/2017 Season. Since joining us, he has tackled featured and principal roles in a varied repertoire that includes full-length ballets such as Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella (Prince); Angel Corella’s Le Corsaire (Conrad), Swan Lake (Prince), and The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Desire); and Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet (Romeo). He has also performed in contemporary works like Brian Sanders’ Chicken Bone Brain, or a more classical approach such as in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Apollo and Jewels (Diamonds).
Prior to joining Philadelphia Ballet, Sterling danced with American Ballet Theatre, where he began in 2010 as a member of their second company. He was invited to join the main company as an apprentice in May 2011 and soon after promoted to the corps de ballet in December of that same year. While with ABT, Sterling created the roles of Prince Fortune and Lilac Fairy Cavalier in Alexei Ratmansky’s Sleeping Beauty and performed leading roles in Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free (2nd Sailor), Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake (Ballroom Von Rothbart), Liam Scarlett’s With a Chance of Rain, Mark Morris’ After You, Marcelo Gomes’s Aftereffect, and Zhong-Jing Fang’s The Final Frame.
Sterling also appeared on season 4 of Dance212, a popular online series that follows dancers trying to make it in New York City. As well, he was in the short film, On a Grass Field, which won Best Short Film at the 2014 New Jersey Golden Door Film Festival. In January 2016, Sterling was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine for their “25 to Watch” issue. He created the role of Hilarion in the world premiere of Joshua Beamish’s Giselle in 2019. Sterling is certified in ABT’s National Training Curriculum and has served three terms as Company Delegate for the American Guild of Musical Artists.
