Joseph Hetzer started his classical training at South Bay Ballet in Torrance, California before becoming a member of the inaugural class at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. While in school, Hetzer worked closely with Jodie Gates and William Forsythe, diving into different genres and movement styles.
Hetzer joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2019 and was promoted to soloist in 2023. During his time in OKC, he has performed featured roles including: Mad Hatter/Lewis Carroll in Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), Gaston/Baron in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Hilarion in Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s Giselle, and Von Rothbart in Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s Swan Lake. Hetzer has also been featured in works by Jerome Robbins, Jessica Lang, Twyla Tharp, Stephanie Martinez, Alexander Ekman, Nicolo Fonte, and George Balanchine. During his off season, Joseph was chosen to participate in the National Choreographers initiative from 2022-2024.
Outside of ballet, Hetzer is a Lululemon Ambassador and is pursuing his MBA. In 2022 he was a recipient of Oklahoma’s “Next Generation Under 30” for the Arts. He is very much looking forward to dancing with Charlotte Ballet for the 2025-2026 season.
