This fall, Houston Ballet principal dancer Amy Fote will break your heart as the innocent heroine, Cho-Cho-San in Stanton Welch's signature story ballet Madame Butterfly for the last time. Fote takes her final bow this December following eight seasons with Houston Ballet.

Fote joined Houston Ballet in 2005 and was quickly promoted to principal dancer in 2006. She will finish out the fall season dancing in Butterfly, the Jubilee of Dance, and wrapping up her career in The Nutcracker.

"I think of the whole next few months as my swan song, and it will be so special to dance Madame Butterfly again," says Fote, who will be partnered by James Gotesky. "I know it will stay with me for a very long time."

Fote has dazzled Houston's dance audiences with her flawless technique, her exquisite line and her radiant acting. She excelled in dramatic roles such as Titiana in John Cranko's Onegin and Giselle, yet also was stunning in Welch's more minimalist ballet, Clear, where she was the lone woman on a stage full of men.

The full depth of her interpretive power could be felt in the final pas de deux in James Kudelka's Little Dancer, and her poignant solo in Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of Animals. Her comedic flare showed up in Jerome Robbins' The Concert and The Merry Widow.

"I've been so lucky and blessed to be part of a company like Houston Ballet. I was really able to find my niche here," says Fote. "It's been exciting and inspiring. There are exciting times ahead for this company; it's a great place to be."

A native of Manitowoc, Wisc., Fote trained at the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance, National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy and the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla. She danced for 14 seasons at Milwaukee Ballet, where she achieved the rank of principal dancer.

Fote's vast classical repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Kitri in Don Quixote, Tatiana in Onegin, Hanna in The Merry Widow, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Giselle (and Myrtha) in Giselle, Sugar Plum Fairy (and Snow Queen) in The Nutcracker, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Marie in Stanton Welch's Marie.

Fote quickly assumed the role of one of Welch's favorite muses, and she was able to dance in many of his athletic ballets.

“Amy is a complete artist,” Welch told me during an interview for a profile on Fote for Dance Magazine. “She exudes a kind of extreme sensuality, a rare mix of steeliness and fragility. It’s a powerful and odd combination.”

As she turns 40 soon, Fote, who has remarkably never had a major injury in her long and demanding career, is leaving her post-dancing options wide open. She loves cooking, fashion, decorating, and theater. She may explore teaching and coaching, and has not ruled out acting.

"Stanton has been terrific with my transition," says Fote. "I have so many interests. I know that whatever I decide to do next will be something creative."

Meet the Artist: Amy Fote