Xander Parish

Xander Parish, Soloist, Mariinksy Ballet

Where did you grow up and how did you get interested in dance?
XP: I come from a village in East Yorkshire just outside of Hull. Dance didn’t interest me much until I saw my sister, who is 15 months younger than me, performing in a local ballet school show when I was 8. Apparently I turned to my parents and asked why she was on stage and I wasn't. After that, I went along with her to ballet classes in Hull. She's now a first artist of The Royal Ballet in London.
How did your background and your family's background; affect your passion for dance?
XP: My parents always made it very clear to my sister and I that our career paths had to be of our own choosing. They were and still are very supportive but never pushed us into anything one way or another so our passions for ballet developed of their own course. In fact at 10 years old I turned down my place at the Royal Ballet School as I wanted to be a cricketer (baseball with more rules) but when I was 11 I changed my mind and moved to board at the RBS in London where my sister joined me just over a year later. Our mother is very talented in many artistic areas so that's where it came from.
Tell us about moving to Russia.  Why did you make the move?
XP: Moving to Russia at the time was a leap of faith into the dark but has proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made! I was in The Royal Ballet's corps de ballet for four and a half years before joining The Mariinsky Ballet and during that time I never once danced a solo and even good corps parts were few and far between. It was a very top heavy company with few opportunities for up and coming youngsters. I was desperate to grow and improve and one day my prayers were answered- a Russian guest teacher came to teach class for 2 weeks and gave me a lot of attention which I loved. On about his last day I asked him if he would mind looking at some of my jumps one on one after class and we ended up working for half an hour. He left back to Russia but six months later this same teacher who's name was Yuri Fateyev became the director of the Mariinsky Ballet, remembered me and offered me a place! I didn’t accept it at first but after a year had gone by, the Mariinsky came to London on tour and Yuri contacted me and asked if I would like to take class and watch the shows which I did. He then spoke with me and said "come to Russia!" I laughed as I thought he was joking but he wasn't. I explained all the reasons I couldn't go- inexperience, language, I'm British! But he said he could turn me into a prince which seemed very far fetched. I declined his offer but after discussing it with my parents and praying a lot about it, I decided I was supposed to go and so I arrived at Pulkova airport in early January 2010 with 3 suitcases not knowing where I was going to live. A jolly interpreter called Dmitri met me and led me to an old car which drove me to the theatre. It was –15c and the snow was about knee deep. It was already dark when I landed at 3.30pm and the streets were bathed in an orange mystical light from the old street lamps. The theatre came into view around a corner like an emerald shining in the snow and that was the start of my life in Russia!
How was it living in Russia not speaking the language when you first arrived?  How long did it take you to learn Russian?
XP: Before I arrived in St Petersburg I had 3 months to prepare myself. During that time I went on YouTube and learned some Russian basics with something I found called 'BableYak Russian course'. That helped a bit but ultimately when I arrived I understood nothing. It was very hard indeed and sometimes rehearsals were the things of nightmares- people yelling stuff at me that I had no idea as to the meaning of. I understand a lot more now but my first 4 years I understood very little at all outside of the vocabulary used in the theatre.
Are the audiences different in Russia than they are in England?
XP: They are certainly tougher. The majority seem to know what they are looking at and are probably regulars. Ballet and the arts are in the soul of the Russian people and they prize it very highly which is wonderful to see. The Mariinsky itself is a source of pride to the St Petersburg locals. Ballet is much more a part of popular culture here than I've seen in Britain.
Do you have one moment in your career that you remember most fondly?  Or one moment that you feel really defined your career or the trajectory of it?
XP: Well certainly what defined the trajectory of it was this- My final performance with The Royal Ballet before flying to Russia the next morning was as Mother Pig in Ashton's 'The Tales of Beatrix Potter'. I had to wear an enormous fat suit and a huge pig's head. The next day when I arrived at the Mariinsky, Yuri told me my first performance would be in 'Chopiniana' so I asked him what male role I would dance in that ballet. Looking a little bemused he answered, "there's only one!" Back in London I only knew it as 'Les Sylphides'! 4 weeks later I made my debut in that and actually a week earlier, replacing someone who was injured, I danced a soloist role in Raymonda, so those were my first soloist and principal roles within a month of being Mother Pig.
What career would you have chosen if you could not have been a dancer?
XP: Probably something in sport. I love cricket and tennis. In my mind they and other sports are not dissimilar to ballet in as much as you are performing. In these cases the pitch or court is your stage and the stadium your theatre.
If a child told you they wanted to be a dancer, what advice would you give them?
XP: Only pursue it if you are absolutely serious and willing to sacrifice everything else to focus on attaining your goal because unless you are prodigiously talented, that's what it's going to take, and even then, it's still going to require your absolute attention.

How has social media changed a dancer’s status and what is required of them?
XP: Social media has given dancers the platform to be recognized as individuals and to present themselves how they wish without the confines of a proscenium arch! Some dancers prefer not to take part in social media but I feel it is a dimension that has great benefits. Audiences these days like to know who they are watching, whether in a movie or a live performance and as I've often done myself, will look people up on Instagram etc who they've just watched to know more about them. It makes it more interesting to connect with the actor or dancer and the next time you see an advert with their name on it, you may be more inclined to go and take a look!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
XP: I believe God created everyone with specific talents and abilities which all fit together in life and therefore my idea of perfect happiness is doing what God created me to do to the best of my ability. I'm honoured that I'm at the level I'm now, it’s a privilege, but if I was still back at the Royal playing Mother Pig, I hope I would still be doing that the best I could.
What is your greatest indulgence?
XP: Steak and cheesecake (two reasons I love New York so much!)
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started dancing professionally?
XP: I'm glad I didn't know then what I know now- it may have discouraged me as it's not been easy or quick, not that I exactly wanted those things when I was young, but I think I expected a smoother path. When I was younger my mum always told me, "success is not a destination, but a journey; therefore enjoy the ride." That's not always been easy to implement but she's absolutely right. That was the advice I needed then and I can only look back and shout that it's true! I might also shout back that it gets easier with experience!
What is the one thing you wished more people knew about dance?
XP: I wish people would try it before passing judgment on someone's performance.
Tell us about the ritual of taking dance class each day. 
XP: Class at the Mariinsky is often more about warming up and getting ready for the day- shows and / or rehearsals. We do so many shows that I find I work on technique more in my personal rehearsals preparing for the ballets I'm performing. Class is much more a necessity when we're not doing for shows for whatever reason (which is rare!).
What does being a dancer mean to you?
XP: It's a badge I wear with honour as it’s a privilege! There are many who would love to be dancers but haven't been able to, so to be one of the few who has completed the training and become a professional dancer and has the privilege of going on stage and dancing for people who love to watch is a really wonderful thing.
Have there been setbacks in your career that you have had to overcome?  What helped you through these setbacks?
XP: My path has required a lot of perseverance. Of course I've had to overcome injuries and problems like most dancers have, though thankfully these have been few, but to persevere and believe that I could make it, there is no way I could have done it without my Christian faith.
What elements have to come together to make for a great performance?
XP: All of them! Sometimes you've just got to show up and get on stage in spite of any doubts and everything falls into place and you finish and think "How?" For me, the best thing is dancing with a friend who I get on well with. I had this experience with Isabella Boylston in Sylvia with ABT just now. We met when she came to dance with the Mariinsky a couple of years ago and we immediately became friends but we didn't dance together until just now and it was so much fun! She is a great person and just a joy and a pleasure to work with and that makes for a great show I think!
With dancing being such hard work, what do you do to keep motivated and inspired?
XP: That's a good question. Getting out and travelling (usually for galas or guestings) is always very refreshing. I had such a great time with ABT just now and they were all so friendly. They inspired me! I've also guested a few times with the Ballet of the Opera National Bucharest thanks to Johan Kobborg and seeing the company there and their passion and hard work from Johan to the guys in the corps is very humbling and inspiring.
What is the best part about being a dancer?
XP: Hearing from people who have watched you dance and have been touched by it. It’s so wonderful to hear someone say that your performance inspired them or moved them emotionally. In my opinion it’s all about the audience really and to transport them to a different world for a few hours or to give them something to take away from it in their mind or heart is the aim of the game!

Tights by KeithLink

Sterling Baca

Sterling Baca, American Ballet Theatre

NYCDP Questionnaire:

Where did you grow up and how did you get interested in dance?
SB: I grew up in Larkspur, Colorado. I was homeschooled through high school and was involved in many competitive sports and musical theater. I started ballet after my parents forced me to see Colorado Ballet's Nutcracker instead of a professional indoor lacrosse game. I was enthralled by the masculine power and feminine beauty of the art form. My family has always been involved in art and always offered me opportunities to express myself artistically. They had me try ballet as another expressive outlet. Ballet is an athletic performing art, so my sensibilities were attracted to it very quickly. Over the next years it became my primary focus and has lead me to a career that I love. 
What career would you have chosen if you could not have been a dancer?
SB: I have always been interested in the natural sciences - insects - especially spiders, so if I hadn't become a professional ballet dancer I may have pursued a career in Arachnology.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started dancing professionally?
SB: I don't know anything now that I wish I had known when I first began my career. I believe this career, just like life or anything else, is a process. Even if you aren't doing something right you must go through a process of evolution to become the person and artist you want to be.
Of all the roles you have performed, which role helped you grow the most as an artist?    
SB: My greatest growth as an artist came during my preparation and performances of my first Principal role with ABT. I performed Von Rothbart with ABT for the first time on a tour in Australia in 2014. Performing this role provided me with the opportunity to develop the ability to tackle and appreciate how much goes into a Principal performance and has improved my dancing in all roles.  It took me  from the back left corner to being front and center.

If a child told you they wanted to be a dancer, what advice would you give them?
SB: My advice to anyone pursuing a professional career in dance would be that you first need to be very passionate about what you do. You must be willing to put in the incredible amount of time and effort it takes to be the best artist you can be. If you always work for this, you will be satisfied with yourself and able to maximize what you give to the audience and your colleagues. This should lead to a successful career. 
How has social media changed a dancer’s status and what is required of them?
SB: Social media has provided dancers the ability to share their art form with many more people than they previously could. I think it has inspired many dancers to evolve and improve because they can now see extraordinary talent and expression from around the world. Art is about communication, so having the ability to share with more people is an incredible opportunity.
Do you have one moment in your career that you remember most fondly?  Or one moment that you feel really defined your career or the trajectory of it?
SB: At 13 years old, in 2006, I attended my first ABT Summer Intensive in NYC. I met so many interesting and talented people from around the world. This is when I decided for certain that ballet was what I wanted to do as a career. I fell in love with the art form and the amazingly diverse world that is ballet. That summer has in many ways determined where I am, where I'm going, who I am, and who I want to become.

Who would you like most to have a coffee with (could be dead or alive)? 
SB: I would love to have coffee with the legends Angel Corella and the late Fernando Bujones. Seeing Angel dancing with the alphabet on Sesame Street was my first image of ballet. Videos of him and Fernando have always inspired met to be the dancer I want to be and were the reason I wanted to dance with ABT. After meeting Angel and reading Fernando's autobiography, they both also became the kind of person I aspire to become.
What do you most value in your friends?
SB: Empathy and generosity.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
SB: Happiness to me is experiencing all emotions in their place with balance.
If you could be an animal, what would animal would you choose and why?
SB: If I could be an animal I would be a jumping spider. I've always been fascinated by spiders and jumping spiders are my favorite. Also, being able to jump one hundred times my height would be helpful in ballet.
What is your greatest indulgence?
SB: Doughnuts.
What is the one thing you wished more people knew about dancing?
SB: I wish more people understood how much work goes into being a professional ballet dancer, that men dance too, and that you can have a career being a dancer.

Meaghan Grace Hinkis

Soloist, The Royal Ballet

Meaghan Grace Hinkis,  Soloist with The Royal Ballet

NYCDP Questionnaire:

Where did you grow up and how did you get interested in dance?
MH: I was born in Boston, MA, grew up in Simsbury, CT and moved to NYC when I was 12 years old to further my training in ballet. I have been interested in dance for as long as I can remember. My sister, Caitlin, used to dance and of course, I wanted to follow in her footsteps. My parents had Caitlin and I in both gymnastics and dance, she became the elite-level gymnast, and I fell in love with all facets of dance. I knew it was what I wanted to pursue.
How did your background and your family’s background; affect your passion for dance?
MH:  I am the only “dancer” in my family (however, my Dad will tell you he taught me everything I know!) But, I am certainly not the only one in the family in a career that takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication. It runs in the Hinkis family. I have had so much support throughout my career and I know that it would have been there no matter what I was doing. I have had a passion for dance ever since I was a little girl. My parents had me in every type of dance you could think of...jazz, lyrical, tap, acrobatics, ballet, you name it. It wasn’t until I was about 11 that I realized ballet was the one for me.
How did you end up joining the Royal Ballet?
MH: I joined the Royal Ballet four years ago in a rather unexpected way. I was on tour with ABT to London and decided to stay on a week and explore what London had to offer. I asked to take class with the Royal Ballet because it had been a dream of mine for years. I also think it’s important to see the way other companies tick. I took class for a few days and Dame Monica Mason came in to watch. One thing led to another and I had an offer on the table. It was a tricky decision leaving ABT. I was happy and felt part of the “Ballet Theater family.” But, joining the Royal Ballet was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. It was a rare chance to live in another country and experience dancing on the legendary Royal Opera House stage. I accepted the offer with butterflies in my stomach and moved across the pond to beautiful London.
What career would you have chosen if you could not have been a dancer?
MH: Well, lucky for us dancers, we don’t just have to pick one career. There’s time to discover so much more. I would love to get into real estate and interior design later on in my life. Also, while it is still dancing I would definitely like to get a swing at performing on a Broadway stage!
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started dancing professionally?
MH: "Watch and learn. Learn what to do and what not to do.” I am so thankful that when I first joined ABT I received advice from some of the most experienced dancers in the corps de ballet. And that’s what they told me and it couldn’t have been more true. I think about those words daily. I watch rehearsals and performances and am always learning. I think that is something that young dancers joining companies now often forget. Everyday we can learn, and it may be surprising who you can gain the most knowledge from.
Of all the roles you have performed, which role helped you grow the most as an artist?
MH: This is a hard question to answer but one role that comes to mind is ‘Princess Stephanie’ in Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s 'Mayerling.' It’s a ballet that I had never seen before and I fell in love with it. Dramatic roles are some of my favorite and one of the many reasons why I was so drawn to the Royal Ballet’s repertory. I was honored to have been cast with
Carlos Acosta as my 'Prince Rudolf’...definitely a career highlight for me and one that helped me grow as an artist.
If a child told you they wanted to be a dancer, what advice would you give them?
MH: I would say, “Go for it!" If it’s what he or she wants to do, then why not? Being a dancer is a very special career; we have the power to transform. People enter an auditorium carrying their individual burdens. Our job is to make them forget and pull them into our magical world. I remember a little girl once came up to me when I was doing the 'Sugar Plum Fairy' and she said, “Do you know who my favorite superhero is?” Not knowing where she was going with it, I asked, “Who?!” And she responded with a sparkle in her eye, “YOU.” I’ll never forget that and if the younger generations have as much fun as me, then they should absolutely put their dancing shoes on.
How has social media changed a dancer’s status and what is required of them?
MH: Social media has allowed us dancers to have a voice. We can be ourselves and show a human side. When used appropriately, I think it is a great way to be our own managers too. Many of us don’t have personal PR agents, so it is a way for us to put ourselves out there and give updates on what is happening in our lives. Also, it is a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends, family, and fans who may live on the other side of the world.
Do you have one moment in your career that you remember most fondly? Or one moment that you feel really defined your career or the trajectory of it?
MH: I have “moments” all the time where I’m standing on stage at the Royal Opera House next to some of ballet’s greatest superstars and I think, “Wow this is pretty amazing!” It’s difficult to pin down just one. Although, one moment that definitely defined the trajectory of my career was when I decided to move to London. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means, but the past four years have been incredible and I have done things that I never would have the opportunity to somewhere else. I am excited to start next season off as a Soloist with the company and see what opportunities await!

Who would you like most to have a coffee with (could be dead or alive)?
MH: If I’m sticking with the dance theme, I would absolutely have to say Baryshnikov. I would love to sit with him for an entire day and hear story after story. (but who wouldn’t?!) I would also like to request him to whack out a Basilio solo but not sure he’d oblige ;-)
I would also love to have a coffee with author, Khaled Hosseini. I recently read his book, “The Kite Runner,” and was completely astonished by it. He must be one of the world’s best story tellers.
Who were some of the people who influenced you most in your career?
MH: First name that comes to mind is Wes Chapman, my director from when I was in ABT II. He is a former principal dancer with ABT and has taught me so much in regards to my career. I often think back to my ABT II days and realize just how much experience I gained. Wes is a very important mentor in my life.
I would also have to say many of the cast members from Radio City Music Hall. It was a rare opportunity for such a young person. I played the role of Clara in the Nutcracker scene. I looked up to each and every cast member and rightfully so, because they taught me to enjoy the process. They taught me to never take advantage of what you have. They will always have a very special place in my heart, and I'm still in touch with many of them today.
What do you most value in your friends?
MH: Respect. I’m not sure there is anything more valuable than that.
If you could be an animal, what would you choose and why?
MH: I would have to say an eagle because I have always wanted to fly! Eagles are like royalty of the sky- they are so powerful and majestic. Also, they are at the top of the food chain as alpha predators in the avian world, so nothing to worry about there!
Which person (dead or alive) would you most want to dance with if you could?
MH: Gene Kelly! He’s so charming and definitely has the best dance moves!
I’d also love to do Romeo and Juliet and/or Manon with ABT’s Marcelo Gomes. Dream!
What is your greatest indulgence?
MH: This is going to sound a little sad but Pinkberry! It’s my favorite treat and they don’t have it in London so when I come home I try and make the most of it ;-)
 

What are your worst fears?
MH: Growing old...but I don’t think I’m alone there which is comforting. I also have a huge fear of tornadoes!
What was your biggest mishap in a performance?
MH: I remember I was doing the Canary fairy in “The Sleeping Beauty" when I was in the JKO school at ABT. It’s very fast moving and all running on pointe. We were at a school in the middle of the Bronx and it was a very slippery floor...I came flying out of the wing and BOOM...down I went to a room full of laughing students. It was so embarrassing but that was the day I realized these things can happen to us all!
Is there a special meal you have before performances?
MH: Sometimes it’s hard to eat too close to showtime but I always make sure I have some sort of protein before a show. It gives me sustainable energy. And if it’s “Swan Lake,” I always drink a coconut water and eat a banana an hour before curtain up to help with those pas de trois and cygnet cramps.
What do you miss most about living in NYC?
MH: Well first things first, I miss my family and friends. Thank goodness for FaceTime! But, I also miss the hustle and bustle of NYC. There is an energy that can’t be beat. I think that energy is what some people find overwhelming about NYC but I love it. It’s an adrenaline rush! Thankfully, NYC isn’t going anywhere and whenever we have a break I get to come home to an iconic city.

Hair and makeup by Juliet Jane,  Dresses by Leanne Marshall