Julie Kent

Julie Kent, Principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre

Where did you grow up and how did you get interested in dance? How did your background, and your family's background affect your passion for dance? JK: I was born at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. My father was a Captain in the USPHS and my mother was an aspiring dancer in New Zealand. She met and married my father while he was stationed in Antarctica during "Operation Deep Freeze" in the early 1960's. After I was born, my mother went back to ballet class and brought me with her. I have no memories of life before dance.... it was simply always there. I loved to watch my sister in her leotards and tights and anxiously awaited the time when I was old enough to begin studying ballet. Dance was simply a natural part of my life. I will never forget the joyful discovery in my first performance of expressing myself without words. For a shy child, with a full imagination, this was a gift. The lights, the silence, expect for the music and the applause, left an impression on me that lasts to this day. Has being a mother charged your dancing? JK: Motherhood changes everything in all the best ways.

How many years have you danced with ABT? What is next for you? JK: I signed my first contract as an apprentice with ABT in October of 1985, 30 years ago this fall. In my post ABT performing career, I hope: ~ to share my voice as an American artist, a woman and a mother ~ to be an ambassador for dance ~ to be an advocate for the arts and for the benefits of arts education ~ to guide dancers and parents of aspiring dancers, through the benefit of my own     experience ~ to help shape and develop the next generation as a mentor, teacher and inspirational figure

Hair and Makeup by Juliet Jane,  Black dress by Trash-Couture Thank you to Cara Lynn Moccia for your help on the shoot

Stella Abrera

NYCDP Questionnaire:

Stella Abrera, Soloist with American Ballet Theatre

What career would you choose if you could not be a dancer? SA: I would be a restaurant owner/chef What are your worst fears (professionally or personally)? SA: Professionally: injury. Personally: (other than the obvious: losing family or friends) I have a real phobia of snakes. I avoid them at all costs. Even the rubber snake that "bites" Nikiya in Act 1 of La Bayadere makes the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. Which person (dead or alive) would you most want to dance with if you could? SA: Gene Kelly (I must have watched Singin' in the Rain a thousand times as a kid). If a child told you they wanted to be a dancer, what would your advice be? SA: Work with determination and grit. Every day endeavor to reach your full potential. If you aren’t successful on a particular day, be proud of trying, and then get back in the saddle again the next day. And cross train. If you could be an animal, what would animal would you choose and why? SA: I'd love to be a big wildcat of some kind - tiger, lion, cheetah, panther. I love how lithe, agile and graceful those animals are. What is your greatest indulgence? SA: Lazy Sundays: sleeping in, staying in my pajamas until early afternoon, brunch (always with a side of bacon), pouring over foodie magazines and the NY TImes, watching CBS Sunday Morning, getting a massage, having a decadent dinner and going to a movie at the best movie theater in the city (the Ziegfeld theater--when you walk in, it's like traveling back in time)--all of this with my gorgeous husband, Sascha Radetsky. I also love a good midnight snack. Clearly, my favorite indulgences involve food! What 3 items do you always have in your dance bag with you? SA: Lipstick (a gal always needs a lovely lipstick ready for a quick spruce up), spearmint Tic Tacs (to be considerate of my partners), and the ever-forbidden rosin (because slipping and falling sucks). What career would your family have chosen for you? SA: My family would have supported any profession about which I were passionate. What is your idea of perfect happiness? SA: Refer to above description of my Sundays. Who would you like most to have a coffee with (could be dead or alive)? SA: Cleopatra What is your favorite city to tour to and why? SA: Athens--legendary ABT tour. One summer, we performed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an outdoor theater at the foot of the Acropolis. The extreme temperature restricted us to working only after dusk, so we spent the day lolling on the beach and lunching al fresco by the sea. When the sun went down, we took class and then did the show. Performing on such a historic stage, looking up at the Parthenon in the moonlight while dancing some really fun repertoire was unforgettable. And on the free days, we roamed on foot and feasted our eyes on all of the amazing historical landmarks. What was your biggest mishap in a performance? SA: Snow Queen (Kevin McKenzie’s Nutcracker) Washington DC--before my entrance, I (half-jokingly) begged the stage manager to please ease up on the amount of snowfall during the snow scene at the end of Act I. He apologized and told me he was under strict orders to make it really look like a blizzard…in other words, expect more snow than usual. About 10 seconds into my solo I face-planted. For a split second, I was tempted to make a snow angel ;-) Instead, I got up and finished my solo in the blizzard. The show must go on, after all. Is there a special meal you have before performances? SA: I love a big sandwich a few hours before the show (e.g. turkey, salami, swiss, lettuce, tomato, pickled peppers, on wheat toast), then I take a quick power nap, then a coffee and half a chocolate chip cookie as I apply my makeup. (I eat the other half on my walk home as my post-show treat/appetizer for dinner).

Hair and Makeup by Riva Pizhadze Gamzatti costume courtesy American Ballet Theatre Black dress by Trash-Couture

Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland, Soloist with American Ballet Theatre In the past year, Misty Copeland has become a household name. Walk around Soho and you'll see her on a billboard. Turn on the TV and might catch her Under Armour commercial. Open up last week's New Yorker and you'll see a full-length feature about her life. She's kind of everywhere. She has the resume of a celebrity, and the poise of a ballerina.

Despite her accomplishments, there are still a few firsts that Misty is waiting to check off her list. Premiering Odette/Odile during the ABT's Australian tour was one. Now back in New York City, NYC Dance Project caught up with Misty and she gave us the inside scoop on her performances and the tour. The night before the show we ran through everything in Swan Lake, and it was probably the worst rehearsal that Alex Hammoudi and I had throughout the entire process of putting it together. Kevin was very calm about it. He kept saying,"Maybe you guys shouldn't do anymore. I think you guys are so ready for this, you've rehearsed so much." But we insisted on running though everything. It just wasn't working. So we left the night like, "Oh my god, that rehearsal was so bad." I went home to my hotel room, which was a little apartment so I could cook, which is something I really enjoy doing. Cooking definitely keeps my mind at ease. When I woke up in the morning I felt ready to finally do it. During the show, I wasn't walking into something where I didn't know what to expect. Usually each act of tech is given to a different Principal, but I was able to do a full run through the day after we flew. It was kind of like, if I can get off a plane, jet lagged and do the whole show - then I can do this. The shocking part was how much I enjoyed performing and how relaxed and calm I was. I was expecting people to say "Good first time! You've got a lot of work to do!" I mean, I think everyone was kind of in shock, like - you did it! You did it well. And the artistry was there, and you didn't struggle though anything. It's still setting in. The greatest thing that I continued to hear was that it didn't look like my first time doing Swan Lake. The timing couldn't be more right in my career. I don't even know if a year ago I would have been capable of handling a situation like this and prepared to do a ballet like Swan Lake. I can do anything. After dancing Swan Lake you feel like you can conquer the world. I feel like a different dancer now. I'm more in control of my craft. I am so grateful that Kevin has continued to have faith in me that I could become this artist that I think he's always dreamt of me becoming. And all I can do is just be grateful and thankful that he's waited this long. These opportunities don't normally come for someone at this age. I think that it says a lot about the belief that Kevin has always had in me. It's proof that there's a bigger picture. To get an opportunity to dance Swan Lake says a lot about the path that he sees for your career. So, I'm hopeful that's why I'm getting these roles. When I'm in the midst of doing what I do, dancing and performing, if I step back and think about everything or the magnitude of what it is, I think I could completely lose my head. I'd get overwhelmed and think "this is a lot on me." So I try not to. Dancers are athletes, ballet is not a sport. A sport is a competitive thing where you have a way of keeping score and it's very black and white. An art form isn't that. Of course there are competitions, but I think it's so insanely difficult to fairly judge a dancer in a competition. It's about the panel and their take, opinion and perspective. It is so much more than a sport. Susan Jaffe constantly told me how powerful other people's words can be and how you can't let them define you. You have to really be able to sift through things people are saying. That could mean anything: critics, people around you, or the ballet mistress in front. Take what you think is going to help you and don't let it beat you down.

Interview by Cory Stieg

Misty is dancing with partner, Alexandre Hammoudi, Soloist with American Ballet Theatre.

Hair and Makeup by Juliet Jane, Dress by Trash Couture

Misty Copeland and Alexandre Hammoudi

Congratulations to Misty Copeland and Alexandre Hammoudi! Misty will be one of the ballerinas performing the lead role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake during American Ballet Theatre's Australia tour, which begins August 28. Misty is the first African American woman to perform this coveted role with ABT in its 75-year history.  It will be a historic moment for ABT, breaking ballet conventions.

This photo was taken last week and is our tribute to Misty and to Alexandre.  More photos of Misty and other ABT dancers will be premiered at the ABT Junior Council Turnout, Sept 18th at the Bowery Hotel. 

Special thank you to Ann Wiberg from Trash Couture for this stunning dress Hair and Makeup by Juliet Jane