Born and raised in Denmark, Martins was already an international star because of his association with the Royal Danish Ballet when he joined NYCB in 1970 as a principal dancer at the invitation of company co-founder George Balanchine.
Born and raised in Denmark, Martins was studied at the School of the Royal Danish Ballet and danced with RDB from 1965-1969. He was already an international star when he joined NYCB in 1970 as a principal dancer at the invitation of company co-founder George Balanchine.