Born and raised in Chicago, Houston Thomas trained at the Joffrey Ballet Academy and the Chicago High School for the Arts before continuing his studies at the School of American Ballet. After graduating in 2013, he spent a decade with Dresden Semperoper Ballett, rising to second soloist in 2018. His repertoire included works by Balanchine, Forsythe, and Dawson, and his performance in Justin Peck’s Heatscape earned a “Best Male Performance” nomination from Dance Europe.
Thomas began choreographing in 2018 with Moonlit Variants. In 2022, he premiered Follow the White Rabbit at the Young Emergent Choreographers Contest in France, a success that led to a commission for SKYWATCHER at the Opéra National de Bordeaux. Since then, he has created work for The Washington Ballet, ABT Studio Company, Cincinnati Ballet, Ailey II, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, The Juilliard School, New York Choreographic Institute, BalletCollective, Joffrey Ballet Studio Company, Point Park University, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, the School of American Ballet, and the Hamptons Dance Project.
In recognition of his artistic vision and emerging choreographic impact, Thomas was awarded the 2025 Princess Grace Award.
