Christopher Wheeldon CBS News

Christopher Wheeldon is breaking new ground in dance. He's reinvigorating ballet by making it sensual, athletic and edgy. One place he's doing it is on Broadway, where his hit show, "An American in Paris," is introducing new audiences to classical ballet. The internationally acclaimed choreographer tells Lesley Stahl his story, from ballet dancer to the toast of Broadway, on 60 Minutes, Sunday, April 3 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Wheeldon won a Tony for his choreography in "An American in Paris," which combines musical theater dance with ballet moves. He also directed it -- a first for him that caused some jitters. "They probably couldn't see the sweat kind of trickling down the back of my neck," he tells Stahl.

The critical and commercial success of the show feels like a turning point for Wheeldon. "I certainly felt like a door was flung open," he says. "It is possible for ballet to be young, sexy, dynamic, exciting... to tell complex stories, not just stories about sleeping princesses but to take audiences on breathtaking journeys."