Born in Bordeaux France, Benjamin Millepied began his dance training at the age of eight with his mother, Catherine (something) a former modern dancer. From age thirteen to sixteen he attended the Conservatoire National de Lyon, studying classical ballet under Michel Rahn. In the summer of 1992, Millepied made his first appearance in New York City, for a summer program at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet. The following year, he became a full-time student