| Q. |
Who most inspired you to become a dancer? |
| A. |
During my darkest days, two people in particular urged me to keep dancing: my boyfriend (later to be my husband) James Fayette, and my ballet teacher, Nancy Bielski, who had me to come to her class no matter how uncomfortable I was with my own appearance at the time. |
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| Q. |
What do you do to mentally prepare before a performance? |
| A. |
Two things: First, I remind myself what a wonderful blessing it is to have the opportunity to dance on stage. Secondly, I focus on the importance of transporting my audience into another world. |
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| Q. |
Do you have any rituals you perform, or superstitions you indulge, before going on stage? |
| A. |
I pray, lifting the performance up to God. |
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| Q. |
If you could have a moment with any dancer in history, who would you choose and what would you ask him/her? |
| A. |
I would love to have met Jerome Robbins, especially when he was embarking on his career as a choreographer. I'm not sure what I would ask him; just to be in his presence and watch him at work would probably best answer any question I could ever have asked. |
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| Q. |
How do you unwind after a big performance? |
| A. |
Dinner, a glass of wine, and some conversation with my husband. Works every time. |
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| Q. |
What are your thoughts on the future of ballet in America? |
| A. |
For a while, there seemed to be a movement towards more athleticism with an emphasis on technical prowess over artistry, but I feel that development has started to subside. I sense that a lot of the younger dancers are searching for something more than the traditional, so a new trend could take hold at any time. |
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| Q. |
Is it easier or harder to become a professional dancer today, or when you started? |
| A. |
It seems harder to break in today, simply because current economic conditions have led to fewer positions being offered. |
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| Q. |
In your opinion, who is the greatest dancer in your lifetime? |
| A. |
Easily, Wendy Whelan. There are a lot of great, great dancers out there, but just a rare few whose extraordinary talents, like hers, that have actually altered the world of dance itself. |
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