Latest news with #AmericanBalletTheatre
Vogue
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Gillian Murphy Left It All on the Stage
Nine days before her final performance with the American Ballet Theatre, Gillian Murphy is struck by a realization. 'I've never done retirement bows before,' she says to Amanda McKerrow, the company's director of repertoire and a former principal dancer, after a rehearsal. Until last Friday, Murphy, 46, was ABT's longest-standing member. In her 29 years at the company—23 of them as a principal dancer—she conquered every leading lady one can imagine: Kitri, Giselle, Aurora, Juliet, Swanilda, the Sugar Plum Fairy. But Murphy is most famous for the dual role of the gentle Odette and beguiling Odile in Swan Lake, the work that she chose to end her career on. Far from an easy victory lap, the ballet is notorious for its demanding choreography, including a series of 32 rapid-fire fouetté turns in the Black Swan's grand pas de deux. When Murphy performed them on Friday, the crowd at the Metropolitan Opera House let out a roar, leaping to their feet. Murphy was a 12-year-old living in South Carolina when she performed the Black Swan pas de deux for the first time (something she acknowledges was 'a very strange choice for a young child'). 'I didn't really know about turnout, I didn't know about port de bras, I wasn't fully aware of whether I was pointing my feet or not,' she recalls. Still, she had never felt so invigorated. 'I was just living my best life, feeling so exhilarated to be on stage and to be doing this thing that I absolutely loved. I remember feeling like it couldn't get better than that.' Not long after, she was off to high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts; then along came ABT, where she joined the corps de ballet at 17. Murphy made her debut as Odette-Odile with the company 24 years ago, before being tapped to dance the part in a telecast for PBS in 2005. 'It's one of several reasons why I chose to finish my career with this ballet,' she says. 'The messages that I've gotten, the cards that have been written to me…I still get DMs on a regular basis about what that film meant to people, which is so beautiful.'
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q & A with ABT Ballerina Chloe Messeldine on Performing Giselle This Saturday July 26, 2PM At The Segerstrom
Chloe Misseldine, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre Photo by Kyle Froman, Courtesy American Ballet Theatre This week American Ballet Theater is coming to Orange Country's Segerstrom Center for the Arts July 24-27 to perform the classic romantic ballet Giselle . For the evening performances, the role of Giselle will be performed by Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, and Sunday's matinee by Skyler Brandt – all amazing dancers. Saturday's matinee performance, however, will feature rising star Chloe Misseldine, who became a principal dancer in July 2024, and first danced the lead role of Giselle this April. I interviewed Misseldine by phone to hear her thoughts on the character of Giselle, her performance of the role, and what the audience should look for in the production. This conversation has been edited for concision and clarity. Tickets to the upcoming performances are available from the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Tom Teicholz: Giselle is one of the oldest story ballets. Why do you think it remains so popular and so compelling both for the audience and for dancers? Chloe Misseldine: Giselle is such a beautiful story for the audience and for the dancer because it's about forgiveness, about resilience, and about love. So that's what I think the audience feels [particularly from] that connection between the two dancers on stage when you have a great relationship with your partner, which I have. [ Misseldine has performed Giselle only twice before ]. I'm so happy to be able to perform it again next week in Orange County. There's so many things I wanted to fix. I want it to feel different. I'm happy to approach it in a new light and find my light in it; and just to be more comfortable on stage because it's such a difficult ballet, technically and emotionally. I'm really grateful to have another opportunity to dive deeper and explore more in the role of Giselle. Tom Teicholz: I know you had the opportunity to discuss the ballet and the role with ABT Artistic Director and former prima ballerina Susan Jaffe and Ballet legend Alessandra Ferri. What did they impart to you and how did that impact how you think about the role? Chloe Misseldine: When I was first starting out in the role of Giselle, learning it and working on it, I worked very closely with Susan Jaffe. Both her and Alessandra were glorious, gorgeous Giselles with different approaches to [the role]…. Alessandra came to New York and coached me for three weeks straight. We worked every day, day in, day out. She wasn't telling me: I need to do this [or] this. She said, yes, this is the step, but the way you approach the step, the way you do it, can be free – [your own]. You're not tied down to one certain version…. My internal dialogue is so important for a role like this, because if you really feel intact with what you're saying, you don't have to act. It's not acting. It's just being yourself. If you have [that] internal dialogue, it will come out naturally, and the audience will feel that connection, and that you're telling the story truthfully. Tom Teicholz: Susan Jaffe is one of the legendary performers of Swan Lake, how, how was that moment for her to come on stage at the Met and tell you you're now a principal after your own debut as Odette / Odile in Swan Lake? Chloe Misseldine: I never expected that would happen after my New York debut in Swan Lake. [Susan Jaffe] was with me every step of the way, from the very beginning. Just to have her by my side helping me and guiding me was just so incredible. It felt very special when she promoted me. Tom Teicholz: It must have been an out of body experience. Chloe Misseldine: It was insane. It was the last thing I expected because I was so emotionally fulfilled from the audience, from my partner, from the whole company. I was so loved in that moment. And then to have this special promotion on stage and [to] include the audience to be a part of it. The feeling was just incredible. I had my family in the audience. It was so joyous, and I was so grateful to [Susan Jaffe] that she believed in me and continues to believe in me, not only by providing me with these amazing roles to challenge me, but to dance and work with her day in, day out. I'm just extremely grateful for her, for pushing me, and for being such a guiding light for my career, which is so important, especially as a young dancer finding her way. Tom Teicholz: What are your thoughts about your upcoming performance as Giselle at the Segerstrom? Chloe Misseldine: When I perform it at the Segerstrom, I definitely will be much more comfortable [in the role]… At the Met, the stage was so vast, [and it was] a sold-out performance. New York [is] where I dance, where I work. So, the stress level was definitely different. I was very nervous for my performance in New York, but now having done that performance, I have a better gauge on what to expect… I have a better understanding on how to approach this role... with my partner [Aran Bell], who I danced with in New York, who's an exceptional partner, fabulous dancer. I'm so lucky to be on stage with him. Tom Teicholz: Last question. What should we, as an audience, be looking for in this performance coming up on Saturday? Chloe Misseldine: There's so much to look for… the storytelling is just as important as the dancing. If you can really just engulf yourself in the story [being told by] my partner and I, and the corps de ballet, the other character artists on stage, I think you will find so much enjoyment in watching the production. The first act is completely different [from] the second Act. [In the First Act], we're humans, peasants in this era [The Renaissance Period in German]. And then in the second act, we're Willis , we're these spirit-like beings. I hope the audience can just sit back and relax and just take in every moment because it's so beautiful. Tickets to the performances are available from the Segerstrom Center for the Arts
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
US ballerina on pointe to farewell celebrated career
There are plenty of consequential decisions to be made in every career, and they tend to become more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for almost three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier in July, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years with the company? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what swan queen Odette does at the end of the company's version of Swan Lake - followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile - especially those fouettes, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns - retired with Swan Lake on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti before a sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd. Once the ballet finished, Murphy hugged fellow dancers including Misty Copeland, who will retire with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ballet theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their six-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mum perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy was 17 when she joined the ballet theatre. Did she imagine such a long career? "I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly," she said. "I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point. "I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here." Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability - dancers need to be actors, too - and Murphy has developed her abilities as she has aged. "I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances," she says. "And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life." While some of the company's dancers have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance, Murphy settled on a much more physically demanding role with Swan Lake. "It doesn't get any easier, yeah," she says, laughing. "I have so many favourite roles, but Swan Lake includes two of my most favourite, Odette and Odile. "It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago." Murphy is known for Odile's fouettes (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs) and throwing in double turns. "I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettes," she says. "But I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere." The decision to retire is a tough call in any career, and no less so for Murphy. "It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency," she says. "I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness." Thankfully, Murphy has largely avoided any major injuries or setbacks along her way. "I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that," she says. "You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. "I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length Giselle when my son was eight months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together." Murphy plans to lean into coaching and staging once she hangs up her pointe shoes, especially choreography. "I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do," she says. "I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit." There are plenty of consequential decisions to be made in every career, and they tend to become more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for almost three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier in July, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years with the company? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what swan queen Odette does at the end of the company's version of Swan Lake - followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile - especially those fouettes, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns - retired with Swan Lake on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti before a sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd. Once the ballet finished, Murphy hugged fellow dancers including Misty Copeland, who will retire with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ballet theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their six-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mum perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy was 17 when she joined the ballet theatre. Did she imagine such a long career? "I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly," she said. "I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point. "I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here." Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability - dancers need to be actors, too - and Murphy has developed her abilities as she has aged. "I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances," she says. "And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life." While some of the company's dancers have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance, Murphy settled on a much more physically demanding role with Swan Lake. "It doesn't get any easier, yeah," she says, laughing. "I have so many favourite roles, but Swan Lake includes two of my most favourite, Odette and Odile. "It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago." Murphy is known for Odile's fouettes (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs) and throwing in double turns. "I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettes," she says. "But I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere." The decision to retire is a tough call in any career, and no less so for Murphy. "It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency," she says. "I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness." Thankfully, Murphy has largely avoided any major injuries or setbacks along her way. "I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that," she says. "You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. "I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length Giselle when my son was eight months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together." Murphy plans to lean into coaching and staging once she hangs up her pointe shoes, especially choreography. "I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do," she says. "I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit." There are plenty of consequential decisions to be made in every career, and they tend to become more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for almost three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier in July, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years with the company? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what swan queen Odette does at the end of the company's version of Swan Lake - followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile - especially those fouettes, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns - retired with Swan Lake on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti before a sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd. Once the ballet finished, Murphy hugged fellow dancers including Misty Copeland, who will retire with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ballet theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their six-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mum perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy was 17 when she joined the ballet theatre. Did she imagine such a long career? "I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly," she said. "I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point. "I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here." Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability - dancers need to be actors, too - and Murphy has developed her abilities as she has aged. "I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances," she says. "And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life." While some of the company's dancers have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance, Murphy settled on a much more physically demanding role with Swan Lake. "It doesn't get any easier, yeah," she says, laughing. "I have so many favourite roles, but Swan Lake includes two of my most favourite, Odette and Odile. "It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago." Murphy is known for Odile's fouettes (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs) and throwing in double turns. "I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettes," she says. "But I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere." The decision to retire is a tough call in any career, and no less so for Murphy. "It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency," she says. "I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness." Thankfully, Murphy has largely avoided any major injuries or setbacks along her way. "I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that," she says. "You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. "I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length Giselle when my son was eight months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together." Murphy plans to lean into coaching and staging once she hangs up her pointe shoes, especially choreography. "I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do," she says. "I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit." There are plenty of consequential decisions to be made in every career, and they tend to become more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for almost three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier in July, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years with the company? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what swan queen Odette does at the end of the company's version of Swan Lake - followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile - especially those fouettes, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns - retired with Swan Lake on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti before a sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd. Once the ballet finished, Murphy hugged fellow dancers including Misty Copeland, who will retire with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ballet theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their six-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mum perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy was 17 when she joined the ballet theatre. Did she imagine such a long career? "I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly," she said. "I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point. "I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here." Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability - dancers need to be actors, too - and Murphy has developed her abilities as she has aged. "I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances," she says. "And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life." While some of the company's dancers have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance, Murphy settled on a much more physically demanding role with Swan Lake. "It doesn't get any easier, yeah," she says, laughing. "I have so many favourite roles, but Swan Lake includes two of my most favourite, Odette and Odile. "It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago." Murphy is known for Odile's fouettes (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs) and throwing in double turns. "I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettes," she says. "But I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere." The decision to retire is a tough call in any career, and no less so for Murphy. "It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency," she says. "I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness." Thankfully, Murphy has largely avoided any major injuries or setbacks along her way. "I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that," she says. "You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. "I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length Giselle when my son was eight months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together." Murphy plans to lean into coaching and staging once she hangs up her pointe shoes, especially choreography. "I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do," she says. "I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit."
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
US ballerina on pointe to farewell celebrated career
There are plenty of consequential decisions to be made in every career, and they tend to become more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for almost three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier in July, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years with the company? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what swan queen Odette does at the end of the company's version of Swan Lake - followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile - especially those fouettes, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns - retired with Swan Lake on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti before a sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd. Once the ballet finished, Murphy hugged fellow dancers including Misty Copeland, who will retire with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ballet theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their six-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mum perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy was 17 when she joined the ballet theatre. Did she imagine such a long career? "I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly," she said. "I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point. "I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here." Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability - dancers need to be actors, too - and Murphy has developed her abilities as she has aged. "I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances," she says. "And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life." While some of the company's dancers have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance, Murphy settled on a much more physically demanding role with Swan Lake. "It doesn't get any easier, yeah," she says, laughing. "I have so many favourite roles, but Swan Lake includes two of my most favourite, Odette and Odile. "It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago." Murphy is known for Odile's fouettes (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs) and throwing in double turns. "I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettes," she says. "But I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere." The decision to retire is a tough call in any career, and no less so for Murphy. "It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency," she says. "I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness." Thankfully, Murphy has largely avoided any major injuries or setbacks along her way. "I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that," she says. "You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. "I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length Giselle when my son was eight months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together." Murphy plans to lean into coaching and staging once she hangs up her pointe shoes, especially choreography. "I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do," she says. "I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit."
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
What does one do on their last day as a ballerina? Gillian Murphy will jump off a cliff (gracefully)
NEW YORK (AP) — In every career, there are plenty of consequential decisions to be made. And they tend to get more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for nearly three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier this week, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years at ABT? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what Odette, the swan queen, does at the end of ABT's version of 'Swan Lake' — followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile — especially those fouettés, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns — will be retiring with 'Swan Lake' on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, hugs, tears and maybe confetti at the Metropolitan Opera House. 'We will all miss her incredible work ethic, her exacting attention to detail, her strength and her joy of dance,' ABT head Susan Jaffe said in an email. The day after, Murphy will sleep a bit late, hopefully, and start a new life focused on coaching other dancers. She'll also have more time with her 6-year old son, Ax, whom she shares with husband Ethan Stiefel, himself a celebrated former ABT principal. Murphy spoke to The Associated Press in the rushed moments between rehearsals, classes and delayed commuter trains in the days leading up to the big occasion. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. AP: You were only 17 when you joined ABT. Now you're 46. Did you imagine such a long career? MURPHY: I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly. I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point! I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here.' AP: Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability. But you need to be an actor, too. How have your abilities developed as you've gotten older? MURPHY: I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances. And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life. AP: Speaking of true love: Some ABT ballerinas have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance. You've chosen a much more physically demanding role: 'Swan Lake.' Just seeing you rehearse it was exhausting. MURPHY: (laughing) It doesn't get any easier, yeah. I have so many favorite roles, but 'Swan Lake' includes two of my most favorite, Odette and Odile. It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago. AP: Let's not forget that you're known for Odile's fouettés (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs). Are you still throwing in double turns? MURPHY: Well, I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettés. Anything could happen on Friday night, but I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere. I'll probably aim to do the 32, possibly with a few doubles in there. AP: It's such a tough call in any career — how did you make the decision to retire now? MURPHY: It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency. I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness. AP: How have you managed to keep your conditioning so strong, for so long? MURPHY: I never knew what to expect in terms of how long I'd be able to do this job that I love so much. But I've always had strong feelings about getting plenty of sleep and rest. I try to keep a daily practice of class and sometimes several hours of rehearsal, but also to take at least one day off in the week to recover. And I've always put a priority on being as fit and strong as possible in terms of my nutrition. So, having a really balanced diet and also enjoying desserts and just good quality, good nutritious food, I think that has helped with longevity. AP: It sounds like you're talking about a healthy attitude toward food. MURPHY: A healthy attitude towards food, and also a sense of humor about myself. You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. AP: Have there been any major injuries or setbacks along the way? MURPHY: I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that. I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length 'Giselle' when my son was 8 months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together. AP: So when you hang up those pointe shoes ... how do you envision spending your time? MURPHY: I'm going to lean into coaching and staging, especially (husband) Ethan's choreography, for the immediate future. I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do. I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit.
