Daniel Mantei

Born in Evansville, Indiana, Daniel Mantei began his ballet training with Ceyhun Ozsoy in Duncanville, Texas. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas and spent several summers training at various schools including Houston Ballet, The Kirov Academy and Boston Ballet.

In 2000, Mantei was a guest artist with Texas Christian University’s dance department, performing Basilio in Fernando Bujones’ staging of Don Quixote, Act III. At 16, he was named a 2001 Presidential Scholar for the Arts and invited to dance variations from Las Fille Mal Gardée and Don Quixote at the Kennedy Center. Mantei attended The Royal Ballet School during the 2001-2002 school season, performing with both The Royal and Birmingham Royal Ballets.

Mantei joined ABT’s Studio Company in 2002, where his repertoire included the lead male roles in Antony Tudor’s Continuo and Kirk Peterson’s Amazed in Burning Dreams. He joined the main Company in April 2003 as an apprentice and became a member of the Company’s corps de ballet in April 2004. His repertory with the Company includes a the King Card in Jeu de Cartes, a dancing gentleman in Manon, the Russian Dance and a Unicorn in The Nutcracker, a Fairy Knight in The Sleeping Beauty and roles in Continuo, Everything Doesn't Happen at Once and Pretty Good Year.

In the 2007-2008 season, Mantei joined the National Ballet of Canada as a soloist, performing the peasant pas de deux in Giselle.

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