Hilary Cartwright

Hilary Cartwright was born in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom in 1943. She attended Elmhurst Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School before joining the Royal Ballet in 1962. After a serious back injury several years into her career, she transitioned into teaching—a process described in her autobiography Dancing for a Living. In her thirties, Cartwright taught ballet internationally, as well as holding leadership positions in dance companies and ballet schools; between 1978 and 1983 she moved between London, Winnipeg, The Hague, Geneva, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, and New York.

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While searching for movement practices and healing work that would help care for her back and educate dancers holistically, Cartwright discovered the movement practice of Juliu Horvath, leading to their extended collaboration. In 1984, Cartwright co-founded the White Cloud Studio with Horvath in New York City. She managed the studio and staff for twelve years, training new teachers and developing movement methods in synergy with Horvath’s innovations in movement equipment, today known as the GYROTONIC® expansion system.

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In parallel, Cartwright continued to work as a ballet teacher, choreographer, and to set ballets as part of the Frederick Ashton Foundation. For the last twenty-five years, Cartwright has additionally focused on refining her Yoga Narada® practice, offered initially in New York City as well as through international workshops and retreats. Cartwright currently offers lessons in presence and through Zoom. She resides in Alpatró, Vall de Gallinera, in the province of Alicante, Spain.