Justin abel

From Houston, Texas
With Nashville Ballet since 2021

Training and Education
Next Generation Ballet, Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre

Previously
NB2

Originally from League City, Texas, Justin Abel began dancing when he was 9 years old at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. During his five years there, he trained and performed alongside the Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theater.

From 2014–2021, Abel performed with Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theater, Feijoo Ballet School, and Next Generation Ballet. During this time, he performed various roles in The Nutcracker, including the Snow King and Sugar Plum Cavalier, as well as Siegfried in Swan Lake. He also participated in Youth America Grand Prix Houston and Tampa Regionals, where he placed in the top 3 in the Pas De Deux category and was a finalist at the American Dance Competition International Ballet Competition 2021.

That same year, Abel moved to Nashville to join NB2, Nashville Ballet’s official second company. During this time, he performed several works by Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling, including Peter Pan, Cinderella, Billy the Kid, and Firebird. He has also danced in several world premieres by Artistic Director and CEO Nick Mullikin, Alia Kache, Company Dancer Julia Eisen, and Charlotte Boye-Christensen. He cites Mullikin’s He Loved Big Brother as his favorite work, as he felt like it pushed him out of his comfort zone to explore new types of movement and technique.

Abel was promoted to Company apprentice in November of 2022, and later to Company artist in 2024. When he’s not rehearsing, he enjoys teaching the next generation of dancers at School of Nashville Ballet, as well as spending time with loved ones and enjoying the beautiful city of Nashville.