What do you do during your summer break from Boston Ballet?
This past summer I did a lot of guest performances. I danced in Moscow and Tokyo, and then toured around Italy for two weeks with Roberto Bolle and Friends. Afterwards I had one day back in Boston to repack before heading to Nantucket Island Festival, followed by performances in Vail, Colorado then a week in Mexico City for Despertares Gala.
How do you take care of yourself with such a busy schedule and so much traveling?
I just take it day by day. If I look at my schedule as a whole I get overwhelmed but if I take it day by day it’s totally manageable. I do have to be on top of it though - it sounds bad but I have to ignore emails and shut myself off at times to really focus. Plus I make sure to drink lots of water and eat well. It’s hard but it’s not that hard, it’s probably harder if I sit at home and do nothing.
How do you see Ballet evolving in the future?
I feel that Dance and Ballet are now closer to people because of social media. I used to hate getting asked the question "what is your real job?” But now it seems like people are seeing more of what we really do, and are beginning to appreciate it more. People mention to me videos and images they’ve seen online and comment how ballet training is similar to sports training. It’s not as popular as sports but I think people realize it’s just as much of a commitment. It seems to be reaching a wider audience, so it’s changing, but we can still do more – we have to come up with more.