Harper Watters

{{Infobox dancer

| name = Harper Watters

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

| residence =

| education = Walnut Hill School

| occupation = Ballet dancer

| years_active = 2011{{ndash}}present

| spouse =

| parents = David H. Watters (father)

| relatives = Jesse Watters (cousin)

| current_group = Houston Ballet

| former_groups =

| module = {{Infobox TikTok personality|embed=yes|name=Harper Watters|followers=570.4K|page=theharperwatters|stats_update= January 4, 2025|likes=16.8M}}

| website = [https://www.theharperwatters.com/ theharperwatters.com]

}}

Harper Watters is an American ballet dancer. He was the first black gay soloist in the Houston Ballet's history. In 2025, he was promoted to the rank of principal dancer.

Early life and family

Watters was born in Atlanta, Georgia.{{Cite web |title=Harper Watters – I Am Life |url=https://houstoniamlife.com/story/harper-watters/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=houstoniamlife.com |language=en-US}} He was adopted as an infant by Jan Alberghene, an English professor, and the Democratic politician David H. Watters, who has served in both the New Hampshire Senate and the New Hampshire House of Representatives. His grandfather, Franklin Benjamin Watters, was a cardiologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Newington, Connecticut, and a professor at the University of Connecticut Medical Dental School. Watters is a cousin of conservative political commentator Jesse Watters.{{Cite news |title=It's open season in New Hampshire for Democrats not named Joe Biden |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2023/11/29/new-hampshire-democratic-primary-2024/ |access-date=2024-01-30 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Watters grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, and studied at Walnut Hill School, a boarding school in Natick, Massachusetts.

Career

Watters joined the Houston Ballet as an apprentice in 2011.{{Cite web |title=Harper Watters |url=https://www.houstonballet.org/explore/dancers/first-soloist/harper-watters/#:~:text=Watters%20joined%20Houston%20Ballet%20as,the%20world's%20leading%20dance%20choreographers |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Houston Ballet |language=en}} He joined the corps de ballet in 2012 and was promoted to demi soloist in 2016. Watters was promoted as a soloist in 2017 and, in 2021, was promoted to first soloist.{{Cite web |last=Desantis |first=Marissa |date=2024-01-24 |title=How First Soloist Harper Watters Creates Community at Houston Ballet |url=https://dancespirit.com/harper-watters-houston-ballet-2/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Dance Spirit |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Caldwell |first=Rachel |date=2021-06-23 |title=Houston Ballet Soloist Harper Watters Shares His Style Inspiration |url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/houston-ballet-soloist-harper-watters-shares-his-style-inspiration/#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Dance Magazine |language=en-US}} He is the first black, queer soloist at Houston Ballet.{{cite web | url=https://www.wondermind.com/article/harper-watters/ | title=How Ballet Helped Harper Watters Find His Voice | date=2 January 2023 }} He has performed in various ballets with the company, including Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and La Bayadère, Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and Don Quixote, George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Jewels, and Ballet Imperial. In 2025, Watters was promoted to the rank of principal dancer.https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/harper-watters-houston-ballet-principal-dancer-20197843.php

Watters is a social media content creator, with large followings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.{{Cite web |last=Swartz |first=Mimi |date=2021-10-20 |title=Can Harper Watters Make Ballet Matter Again? |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/can-harper-watters-make-ballet-matter-again/ |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Texas Monthly |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=On Texas Time: Harper Watters |url=https://www.danqdao.com/writing/texas-monthly-harper-watters |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Dan Q. Dao |language=en-US}}