Conversations on Dance

This week we are heading into our vault from our time at the Vail Dance Festival this past summer, where we spoke with many of the festival’s amazing and talented artists.  Today we talk with Lauren Lovette, New York City Ballet Principal Dancer who was not only dancing at the festival, but also choreographing a new piece. Lauren began dancing at the age of 11 at the Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, North Carolina. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet during the summers of 2004 and 2005 and became a year-round student in 2006. After joining New York City Ballet as member of the corps de ballet in 2010, she became a principal dancer in 2015.   We talk with Lauren about her start in ballet, how she became interested in choreography, how becoming a vegan has changed her dancing, and about her new ballet that premiered a few nights after we recorded this episode.

This week we are joined by Allynne Noelle, Suzanne Farrell Ballet First Soloist.  Allynne started her training at the age of five in Southern California and began her professional career at age 15 with Ballet Pacifica.  In 2003 she joined Miami City Ballet where she would dance as a soloist until leaving the company in 2010.  After battling some serious injuries, she recovered and joined Los Angeles Ballet as a Principal in 2011.  In 2015 she joined The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.  She will be dancing in the company’s final shows entitled, “Forever Balanchine: Farewell Performances” at the Kennedy Center December 7th- 9th.  We caught up with Allynne while we were visiting the Kennedy Center in October.  She was kind enough to join us in the middle of her first day of rehearsals for these performances.  We talk with her about her career, struggles with injuries, her love of working with Suzanne, and she offers a preview of what audiences can expect from the Suzanne  Farrell Ballet’s Farewell Performances. For more information on these performances and other happenings at the Kennedy Center, visit kennedy-center.org.

Welcome to Live From The Kennedy Center: Mariinsky Ballet Director Yuri Fateev and Dancer Timur Askerov.  A few weeks ago we were in Washington, DC to cover a busy weekend of ballet at the Kennedy Center.  While we were there, the Mariinsky Ballet was in town performing La Bayadère.  We had the pleasure of sitting down with the acting director of the Mariinsky, Yuri Fateev and one of their star dancers, Timur Askerov.  Mr. Fateev graduated from the Leningrad Academic Vaganova Choreography School in 1982 and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year.  In 1996 he became a coach with the Mariinsky and has been a guest coach with the Royal Ballet in London, ABT, and Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre.  He has been Acting Head of the Mariinsky Ballet since 2008.  Mr. Askerov was born in Azerbaijan and graduated from the Baku School of Dance in 2008. From 2009–2011 he danced in Ukraine before joining the Mariinsky in 2011.  He has danced lead roles in the majority of the company’s repetoire and has toured with the Mariinsky to Europe, Asia, and America. Timur prefered to answer our questions in Russian, so Yuri was nice enough to translate for us.  In this version of the interview we have done a voice over to translate for Timur.  If you would like to listen to Timur’s complete answers in Russian, we have tacked that interview on in it’s entirety to the end of this episode.  To listen to that version, please fast forward to 50 minutes and 30 seconds in the time stamp now.  We really enjoyed chatting with these two to get a better idea of what is happening at the Mariinsky, so we hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did. This episode is sponsored by Body Wrappers and The Kennedy Center.  For more on the events happening at the Kennedy Center, visit kennedy-center.org.

Welcome to Live From the Kennedy Center: Damian Woetzel & Tiler Peck on Jerome Robbins. Two weeks ago we were in Washington, DC to cover a busy weekend of ballet at the Kennedy Center.  We arrived on Friday night just in time to watch an exceptional performance entitled “DEMO: Jerome Robbins- An American Dance Genius.”  These DEMO programs are curated by former New York City Ballet Principal, Artistic Director of the Vail Dance Festival, and incoming president of Julliard, Damian Woetzel.  Damian hosted the evening, which gave audiences an educational behind the scenes look at working with Jermone Robbins and dancing his ballets.  He brought 5 New York City Ballet dancers with him to demonstrate multiple excerpts of Robbins ballets: Tyler Angle, Tiler Peck, Unity Phelan, Amar Ramasar, and Daniel Ulbricht.  Damian’s wife, and former New York City Ballet Principal, (also a former Conversations on Dance guest) Heather Watts, was a special guest for the evening.  The dancers were all clad in rehearsal attire, the stage was bare, with the exceptions of a few barres to constitue sets, organized onstage just as they are in the studios for rehearsals.  The evening started with Robbins’ first work “Fancy Free,”  and moved in mostly chronological order, to include his Broadway work, his return to NYCB in 1969, and his interest in choreographing to Chopin’s music.  One highlight of the evening was when Ms. Watts coached Ms. Peck in “Afternoon of a Faun.”  The evening included so much history, details, and background on these ballets, that we invited Damian and Tiler Peck to join us the next day for a debrief of the performance. For more information on performances and events at the Kennedy Center, visit kennedy-center.org.    

Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast, we have a very special episode in store.  We are offering a preview of this weekend’s Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Tanaquil Le Clercq’s ‘The Ballet Cook Book,’ a 50th Anniversary Celebration.  In 1967, ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq published The Ballet CookBook, a fascinating compilation of ballet history, food stories, and recipes from over 90 leading dancers and choreographers of her generation, including George Balanchine, Jacques d’Amboise, Melissa Hayden, and Allegra Kent. For the book’s 50th anniversary, food scholar Meryl Rosofsky is curating a program honoring Le Clercq’s artistic, literary, and culinary legacy as a part of the Works & Process series at the Guggenheim museum in New York City.  Today we talk with Meryl, who, as part of the event, will be sharing her findings from her fall 2016 fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU where she delved into the cultural history of Tanaquil’s book.  We are also joined by New York City Ballet Principal dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring, who is a passionate at home chef and has been working with Meryl to curate this event.  Joining the pair at the Guggenheim on November 5th and 6th will be Jacques d’Amboise and Allegra Kent who were both at Tanaquil’s book signing 50 years ago, and New York City Ballet Principal Jared Angle, whom Meryl and Adrian reference often in this episode.  The program will include discussions with the panelists, interspersed live performances, and The Wright restaurant at the Guggenheim will serve select dishes from The Ballet Cook Book.  Catch Meryl and Adrian at the Guggenheim this Sunday and Monday, November 5th and 6th at 7:30.  For more information on “Works & Process at the Guggenheim,” go to worksandprocess.org.

This week we have the pleasure of being joined Kevin McKenzie, American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director.   A native of Vermont, McKenzie recieved his ballet trianing from the Washington School of Ballet.  He was a leading dancer with the Joffrey Ballet and the National Ballet of Washington before joining American Ballet Theatre in 1979 as a soloist.  He would go on to dance with the company as a Principal dancer until 1991.  During his time with the company he danced many leading roles including  Don Jose in “Carmen”, Albrecht in “Giselle”, and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet.” In 1989 McKenzie was  appointed Artistic Associate at The Washington Ballet where he was a permanent guest artist,  and he also acted as Associate Artistic Director of New Amsterdam Ballet.  In October of 1992, he was appointed Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, where he would go on to choreograph many works on the company.  This year, the company is celebrating his 25th year as Artistic Director, so we were happy to get the opportunity to take a look back over his career, and the past 25 years with ABT.

This week we are joined by Isabella Boylston, American Ballet Theater Principal Dancer.  Isabella was born in Sun Valley Idaho and started dancing at the age of 3.  In 1994 she began training at a small studio, and by the age of 12 was commuting to Denver every day to study at the Academy of Colorado Ballet.  After winning gold at the Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York City in 2001, she moved to Florida to study at the Harid Conservatory.  After attending a summer course at American Ballet Theater, she joined the studio company in 2005, and joined the main company a year later.  She was then promoted to Principal Dancer in 2014.  She has danced many lead roles with the company, most noteably Giselle, Odette/Odile, Kitri in “Don Quixote,” and the lead in George Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations.”  Recently she appeared as a guest star with the Royal Danish Ballet, and the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Today we chat with Bella ahead of the opening of ABT’s Fall Season at the Koch Theater in New York City starting this Wednesday and going through October 29th.  We talk today about the path that  brought her to ABT, what her first big opportunities in the company were like, about her time as Artistic Director of this summer’s Ballet Sun Valley festival, and get a preview of what she is dancing this week in New York.  Get tickets now: abt.org. This episode is sponsored by Body Wrappers: http://bodywrappers.com. This episode is also sponsored by Blue Apron.  We are happy to offer a special $30 off your first order for all of our listeners when you visit conversationsondancepod.com/blueapron.  Take advantage of this offer now and next week you could be enjoying delicious meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less.    

This week we are joined Patricia Delgado, Former Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer.  Patricia was born and raised in Miami and joined MCB in 2000 at the age of 18.  For 17 years she danced in the majority of the company’s repertoire, moving quickly through the ranks.  This past April, Patricia retired from the stage and has since moved to New York City to explore other creative and artistic opportunities.  We talk with Patricia from the Vail Dance Festival about her retirement shows, what the transition has been like for her moving from a full time company to becoming a free lance artist, and what her next projects are. This episode is sponsored by the Vail Dance Festival and BodyWrappers. FabFitFun is also a sponsor of Conversations on Dance.  To get a seasonal box full of $200 worth of the best beauty secrets, glam fashion finds, and fitness gear for only $49.99, visit https://t.fabfitfun.com/SHqQ.

Today we are joined by Gonzalo Garcia, New York City Ballet Principal. Born in Spain, Mr. Garcia began studying ballet at the age of eight at Maria Avila’s school. In 1995 he came to the U.S. to study at the San Francisco Ballet School’s summer intensive.  He then went on to become the youngest dancer to ever win a gold medal in the Prix de Lausanne.  He returned to San Francisco Ballet School to complete his training when we was asked to join the company in 1998. He was promote to principal in 2002.  In 2007 he joined New York City Ballet as a principal dancer. Today we talk with Gonzalo about his training in Spain, coming to the US at such a young age, deciding to take the leap of changing companies, and what he is considering doing after his ballet career. Sponsored by FabFitFun. Visit conversationsondancepod.com/FabFitFun to receive a box full of fashion and beauty merchandise, a $200 value, for only $49.99.

This week we are joined by New York City Ballet soloist, Unity Phelan. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Unity began her training at the age of 5 at the Princeton Ballet School. In 2008 and 2009 she attended the School of American Ballet for the summer, becoming a year-round student in the fall of 2009. In December 2012 she was asked to become an apprentice with the New York City Ballet, and was promoted to soloist just this past February.  Today we talk with Unity from the Vail Dance Festival back in August.  We discuss her quick rise through the ranks at New York City Ballet, being selected to dance a Principal role in a new ballet at just 20 years old, and the role Vail Dance Festival plays in her development as an artist. This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron.  We are happy to offer a special $30 off your first order at Blue Apron for all of our listeners by visiting conversationsondancepod.com/blueapron.

This week we are joined by distinguished Balanchine ballerina, Heather Watts.  Immediately noticed for her stunning physicality and the individuality of her interpretations, Watts was one of the last ballerinas to inspire Balanchine, having roles created for her in ballets like ‘Walpurgisnacht’ and danced many of his existing masterpieces such as ‘Concerto Barocco,’ ‘Symphony in C,’ and ‘Theme in Variations.’ She has devoted her life after the stage to keeping Balanchine’s works alive, whether it’s giving lectures on the way Balanchine’s worlds related to art and world events at the time of their creation, or coaching her roles for the many artists of the Vail Dance Festival. In 2012, Watts was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hunter College.  She is married to former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Damian Woetzel.  Today we talk with Heather about her early career, how she caught Balanchine’s eye, the way his death impacted her life, and why coaching his ballets and influencing the next generation is so important to her.

This week we are joined by Susan Pilarre, esteemed teacher at the School of American Ballet, repetiteur for the Balanchine Trust, and former New York City Ballet soloist. Suzy, as her students, friends and family call her, joined the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine’s direction at the age of 15. She spent 16 years there, premiering in many of his most important works and eventually rising to the rank of soloist. She has remained a keeper of the Balanchine flame ever since, officially joining the staff at the School of American Ballet in 1986. Ms. Pillare also stages Balanchine’s works throughout the world, as a representative of the Balanchine Trust. Her daughter Zoe, a former Miami City Ballet dancer and repetiteur, appeared on Conversations on Dance just last week.  Today we talk with Suzy about her first encounters with Balanchine, her career dancing for him, how she got her position at the School of American Ballet, and about her passion for passing on her knowledge to future generations of SAB students.

This week we are joined by Zoe Zien, repetiteur and former Miami City Ballet dancer.  Zoe was born and raised in New York City and received her training from the School of American Ballet.  After graduating, Zoe joined the Miami City Balle.  Zoe remained in the company until her retirement from the stage, dancing a bulk of the company’s expansive Balanchine repertoire.  Since leaving the company, Zoe has gone on to work as a repetiteur setting pieces for our former podcast guest, Justin Peck.  Today we talk with Zoe about growing up in a family of artists, what drew her to the Balanchine tradition, the unique challenges of starting a new career teaching ballets, and her new project working on the new Broadway show, “Carousel.” Also, it’s a family affair for these next two weeks on Conversations on Dance, so stay tuned for our next episode when we talk with Zoe’s mother and beloved SAB teacher, Susan Pilarre.

This week we are joined by Jared Angle, New York City Ballet Principal Dancer.  Jared was born in Altoona Pennsylvania and began dancing at the age of six.  In 1996, he moved to New York City to continue his training at the School of American Ballet.  The following year he received  the Rudolph Nureyev Scholarship to continue his training at SAB.  Jared joined New York City Ballet in 1998 as a corps member and was promoted to Principal in 2005.  Today we talk with Jared about his early career, his skilled talent for partnering, being in the company with his brother Tyler, and what he sees for his future.

Welcome to Conversations on Dance, our final bonus episode from the Vail Dance Festival with Damian Woetzel, Lil’ Buck, and Janet Eilber.  This episode is quite special because we have a guest host, Vail Dance Festival Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel.  After we had left, there was one final live event to give audiences an inside look at the artists and the performance.  In this episode, Damian is joined by Jookin dancer, Lil’ Buck and Janet Eilber, the Artistic Director of Martha Graham Dance Company.  As a side note, Buck is the cousin of this week’s Conversations on Dance guest, Ron Myles.  Check out our chat with him in episode 56.  The recording starts slightly into the event, so we join them just as Lil’ Buck begins to explain how he became involved in creating a Lamentation Variation with the Martha Graham Dance Company. They go on to have a great conversation on Martha Graham, tap, and collaboration at the Vail Dance Festival and beyond.  The first voice you will hear is Damian’s. This recording was provided to us by the Vail Dance Festival.