In memoriam – Dr. William G. Hamilton
SAB was deeply saddened this past spring as we learned of the passing of beloved orthopedic surgeon Dr. William G. Hamilton, on March 29, at the age of 90.
A dedicated mind and a caring spirit, Dr. Hamilton enjoyed a career of over 40 years as the attending orthopedic surgeon for SAB, New York City Ballet (NYCB), American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and many more ballet institutions. During this time, he not only impacted the careers of countless dancers, but he changed the world of dance through the formal development of dance medicine.
It was in 1972 that Dr. Hamilton and George Balanchine first met. Dr. Hamilton, 41 at the time, was working a residency at New York City’s Roosevelt Hospital. One night when Mr. Balanchine was visiting a friend, he asked another resident if there were any doctors interested in taking care of a ballet company. At the time, NYCB included around 80 members and was in need of an in-house doctor closer to the studio. Luckily, the resident suggested Hamilton, who had sometimes seen athletes and dancers in his midtown office near Lincoln Center. Little did they know that this conversation would change the path of Hamilton’s life forever.
Dr. Hamilton had always been an admirer of the ballet. However, during that time, there was no specific knowledge or language for dance medicine. He quickly learned “that while dancers suffered the same kinds of injuries athletes did, they got them in obscure ways and places.” This fed his curiosity. He would spend weekends watching Balanchine’s classes, studying the technique and how it affected the body, and learning the names of steps from NYCB dancers, which gave him an intimate view of the intricacies of ballet.
Over the years, through lectures and journal articles, he expanded the field of “dance medicine,” developing a keen eye to detect “early signs of chronic, potentially debilitating problems just by asking a dancer to go through a few routine motions” (Dance Magazine). He was among the first to describe the “Nutcracker Fracture,” which involves multiple breaks in the cuboid bone in the foot.
This breadth of knowledge paired with a compassionate and humorous bedside manner led to the recovery and friendship of countless NYCB dancers, including SAB faculty member Kay Mazzo. She describes her friend Bill as “very outgoing, always curious, very charming, with an incredible sense of humor. He had a joke for every situation and was constantly telling them. He knew what injuries meant to dancers. I first (worked with) with him when I was a dancer with City Ballet, and he just made you feel so comfortable. His knowledge of the foot was just remarkable. We knew that he knew what he was talking about…”
With his specified knowledge of the foot and ankle, he would go on to become president of the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society from 1992 to 1993.
In 1975, after a few years of working with NYCB, he was asked by Lincoln Kirstein to also become the doctor for the School of American Ballet, a legacy that to this day continues to inspire the groundwork of health and wellness for our students at SAB.
“His approach was always slow, taking your time to let something heal. Which is a huge ask for these kids! One of our philosophies around the way we approach health and wellness with our students is the theme of preparing for the marathon and not the sprint. That was very much his approach. He helped countless students towards healing.” – Sion Harrington, Dean of Students
Throughout the years, he also brought this approach to many other dance institutions such as ABT, its Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and The Ailey School, as well as various Broadway shows. He even consulted for the New York Knicks and Yankees. At both NYCB and ABT, he helped set new standards for large dance companies by implementing in-house physical therapy programs where screening and preventative efforts have helped fix major injuries well before they happen.
“He was somebody who decided he was going to get a knowledge of dance. He was in service to taking care of ballet dancers and other dancers and athletes. He just wanted to empower anybody he could, and he had this great knowledge and respect for what we were all doing. Mr. Balanchine respected him and what an asset he was to the Company and the School, so the doors were opened to him. What I found so endearing also was that when he was working with students, you didn’t have to come in and show your insurance. He would work with anyone who needed his help, regardless of whether they could pay.” – Kay Mazzo
In 2018, the School honored Dr. Hamilton at our annual Workshop Performance Benefit for his years of dedicated work and service to our students.
“I would have retired a long time ago if it wasn’t for the dancers…It’s still such a privilege to play a part in what goes on in the theater. To see a [previously] injured dancer onstage that you took care of — to see them up on stage and dancing and performing — it’s very rewarding because they love what they do. They just want to dance, they wouldn’t want to do anything else.” – (Princeton Alumni Weekly).
Everyone at SAB, and countless more across the world of dance are forever grateful to have met, worked with, and been a friend to Dr. William G. Hamilton. Along with his wife, Linda, Dr. Hamilton is survived by his sister, Ann Kirk; his sons, William Jr. and Lewis; and three grandchildren.
A digital memorial has been created in Dr. Hamilton’s honor where former patients, colleagues and friends have shared memories and messages for Dr. Hamilton and his family. We encourage anyone whose life was touched by Dr. Hamilton to visit.