Mr. Honea was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. It was when he moved to Canada at the age of eighteen he began his classical training at Canada’s world-renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.

Upon graduating from Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, he was asked to join the professional company in 1995 and remained with the company until 1998. During his time with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company, he performed its full repertoire including numerous classical ballets and contemporary works. He was privileged to work with some of ballet’s great talents such as Sir Anthony Dowell, Merrill Ashley, Rudi van Dantzig, and John Neumeier.

In 1998, he moved to the United States to join the Milwaukee Ballet Company under the direction of the late Basil Thompson, where he remained for three seasons before joining Eugene Ballet Company for one season and finally joining The Sarasota Ballet in 2002.

He continued to work with many renowned choreographers, and performed works by George Balanchine, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. He performed numerous roles from classical ballet to contemporary works, and performed as a guest artist in many ballet companies. He began teaching ballet in 2002, and he continues to show his passion for dance through teaching today.

Mr. Honea retired from dancing in 2004 and devoted himself to a collection of successful entrepreneurial endeavors in Sarasota, FL.  Though never far from the world of dance.  

In 2011, he returned to ballet when he was appointed Director of Education for the Sarasota Ballet of Florida. In addition to overseeing all aspects of education, training and a special outreach program for at-risk youth, he produced and directed the shows and performances, workshops, outreach and master classes, and adult program. He also directed numerous successful summer intensive programs that included international students and teachers.  Under his direction, The Sarasota Ballet School won Best School at YAGP in 2015.

While Director of Education, Mr. Honea designed and launched The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory of Dance in 2013, designed for pre-professional students who wanted to pursue a career in classical dance. Dancers who had the potential to become professional classical ballet dancers were hand-picked and required to train six days a week under the diligent guidance of the internationally acclaimed faculty.  

To complement the rigorous dance training, Mr. Honea worked with the local school district and private academic schools to create a program where the students could focus on their academics as much as their dance training.  

This program attracted students from all over the world who were provided housing and transportation to and from school. Upon graduation, students were guided toward employment opportunities with other professional companies as part of their pre-professional program.  

Mr. Honea is looking forward to bringing three decades of experience in this industry to take the Colorado Ballet Society to the next level and to serve the community of Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado.