Barre Boys ~ 10 Questions with TMP’s Dylan G-Bowley

1) At what age did you start ballet training? when start dance classes?

I started training at the age of 5. I was in a combo class where we would do ballet for 30 min then tap for 30 min. After that I just kept adding more classes and hours.

2) Do both of your sisters dance? I know Whitney does…

Both my sisters danced when I was younger and that’s how I got into it. Now my oldest sister Leeanne has her own dance company in Queens called in-sight dance. My other sister Whitney still dances and does a bunch of different projects in NYC.

3) How did you wind up in Boise?

I moved to Boise to join Trey McIntyre Project. Before Trey asked me to join the company I had never heard of Boise. It’s funny I didn’t even find anything out about Boise till after I took the job. Now after living there for 2 years I am in love with the city.

4) Do you have any pre-show rituals?

My pre-show prep changes with the rep we do. However just like before I take class I have to be sweating before I feel like I can start moving well.

5) Career goals?

I really look forward to dancing a wide range of pieces in my career. I love all different kinds of movement and want to do a ton before I stop. My only goals right now are to dance a lot and have fun doing it.

6) Any interest in dancing classical ballet?

I am interested in doing classical ballet especially earlier on in my career. I started my training with ballet before I went into modern and contemporary so I don’t want to lose that. I also think it would be really fun and a challenge to do a story ballet at some point.

7) Relationships for an artist in dance can be challenging even moreso when dating another dancer. Your girlfriend is a principal in another company on the east coast. That must be tough, how do you make it work?

It is tough…the time difference is one of the hardest things. When she is going to work I’m still asleep and when I’m having dinner she is getting ready for bed. I do get to visit quite a bit. TMP has a week off about every month so I fly out to see her and take class with the company. I’m racking up the frequent flyer miles! The thing that helps the most is that we are both really busy and focused on our dancing so the time between visits goes by pretty fast.

8 ) How does dating another dancer affect your artistry? I know she is more of the classical content vs the contemp stuff you do. But I would think it helps some?

Having another dancer who you can totally trust and respect is wonderful. We both have different training and experiences that we share with each other. It helps to add a whole other level to our dancing and even push one another into new territory. We always have someone who is close who can understand the commitment and passion that dance requires.

9) What has been your favorite place to perform and why?

It is kind of a tie between Hungary and Boise. Performing in Europe for the first time and having the audience love the dance was something I won’t forget. Whenever we perform in Boise it is like a rock concert. The city is so supportive and really loves TMP. The house is packed with real fans of dance and the work we do. When things get hard I think about the energy the Boise audience gives and it reminds me why this art form is so amazing.

10) Aside from the company itself, what is your favorite part of being in Boise?

That’s a hard one. Boise seems to always be full of sunshine and great weather. It really makes waking up everyday a pleasure. But I think my favorite part is being able to ride my bike everywhere. When we got back from our summer break I drove my car twice in a month. It is just faster, easier, cheaper, and more fun to ride your bike in the beautiful Boise summer.

To learn more about Trey McIntyre Project, please visit:

http://www.treymcintyre.com/

To see more images from our shoot, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=237650&id=256421562292

Barre Boys ~ NYCB Principal, Jon Stafford, talks Carlisle, sisters and the big apple!!!

1) You come from a sort of dancing family with 2 sisters in the biz, tell me about that.

My younger sister started dancing first and I slowly became more and more interested in ballet as I saw some classes and performances. My other sister and I soon started and, that was that, we were all hooked.

2) What inspired you to start ballet?

I really liked the athleticism of it. I remember watching the older guys and thinking that what they were doing was so cool. I wanted to be able to fly around the stage.

3) What age?

I was 8 when I started.

4) What was ballet like in Carlisle, with having one of the most prominent instructional institutions there?

Well, at the time, we didn’t know how prominent CPYB was. We only started to realize, as we got older and started attending summer programs, that CPYB was a very good school with top-notch training. CPYB has a very intensive training program that is very tough. But if you love ballet and are committed to learning as much as you can in your time there, it is a great place to study.

5) You left cpyb and went into SAB then saw some rapid growth in the ranks of NYCB, talk to me about the transition from Carlisle then dancing with Balanchine’s co.

There was definitely a transition from small town to big city and from small school to big school, but I had a lot of friends up here that made it as smooth as possible. I also had to get used to performing on a much bigger stage with a lot of pressure and learning dozens of ballets at the same time. But the intense schedule and the high standards we were held to at CPYB certainly set me in the right direction. At any level as a dancer, you have to be committed to working hard and constantly trying to improve if you want to succeed.

6) I understand you have been named dancers’ chair for the CPYB stars gala in July. How amazing that must be for you… your hometown & your alma mater. How excited were you?

I am excited about the event and honored to be a part of it. It is always good to help raise money for my old school and get a chance to see my family.

7) What’s next for you? What are your goals? Any plans to choreograph?

I am very excited to say that I have been on the faculty of the School of American Ballet for a few years now. I love teaching and do see myself continuing with that in the future. I am also taking classes part-time at Fordham University, which is also something I am excited about. I would like to stay in the dance world in some capacity after I am done dancing so we’ll see where it all takes me. I have choreographed one ballet and enjoyed doing it, though I don’t see choreography as one of my main goals for the future.

8 ) What are your pre-show rituals?

I will pretty much always eat a sandwich and a banana so that I have energy for the show and I always take a good amount of time to get myself warm and ready. Other than that I don’t really have anything that I feel like I have to do before a show.

9) Is there a particular style of music you like to listen to as you are warming up?

I like to warm up backstage and I always just listen to whatever ballet is on the program before me. We have such amazing music in our rep and it always helps me get going. If I am in the first ballet, I just chat with the other dancers who are also getting ready.

10) When you were coming up through the ranks, which dancer inspired you in dance?

I have been inspired by all of my colleagues at NYCB. We have such a demanding schedule and all of the dancers really work their butts off night in and night out. I love watching and being around such amazing artists and am constantly inspired by all of my colleagues.

11) Who are some of the dancers that were at CPYB at the same time as you, that we may know?

There were so many talented dancers during my time at CPYB and many have gone on to companies. A person just needs to read the bios of any major dance company’s roster to find some CPYB alumni.

12) What do you like to do for fun or to release and unwind in between programs?

I love watching sports and reading books. I also love watching movies and I like to get out and play some golf when it’s nice out.

13) During a program or leading into one, give us an idea of your day. When does it start, what’s it like? How long?

We always have a rehearsal period before each season where we learn most of the ballets that we have coming up. We will rehearse the rest of the ballets during the season since they are long seasons. The day runs from class at 10:30 AM until 7 PM. Each day is different and I could have 6 hours of rehearsal or none. If I don’t have a really hard day, I will go to the gym and work out.

14) What is a day like for you during a performance season, both show days and the days leading up?

Since NYCB has such a huge rep and we do a different show every night, we are constantly rehearsing. Even if I have a hard show that night, I like to have a rehearsal or two to really get my body going after company class in the morning. Those rehearsals could be spread throughout the day so every performance day is different. I do try to make sure that I eat enough so that I have energy throughout the day and I try to get off my feet at least a little. We always start at 10:30 AM with class and the performances are either at 7:30 or 8 PM every night.

15) You have been with NYCB for 12 years now. Obviously, there are some pieces you have done countless times. After all that time, how do you still “get up” for a piece, to keep the energy level up and not show a “gosh, I have been doing this piece for 12 years now…”

As you progress through the company, you get to do so many different parts at every different level. The parts I am doing now as a principal are mostly new for me and I’ve only been doing them for a few years. The way that I approach the few that I have done for a long time is that every time I do a part, it will be a different experience than the last show. That’s the beauty of dance, we can always find something new in a part that we have done for many years.

16) Are there any pieces that you have done countless times that you still love or get excited to do?

The only part that I would say I have done countless times is the Sugar Plum Pas de Deux from the Nutcracker and I actually do love performing it. I might get sick of rehearsing it, but it is always fun to dance.

17) What’s been your favorite role?

I really love the waltz boy in Serenade and the male principal in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. I also really enjoy doing many parts, but those are probably my two favorites.

18) If there is one role or ballet you haven’t done yet but would love to before you hang up the tights, what is it and why?

I would love to do Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake because it is such an amazing part both dramatically and technically. The music is amazing and it would be so fulfilling to dance a full length like that.

19) How often does your family get up to see your performances?

They come pretty often, since Carlisle is not too far away. They do try to coordinate it so that they will see both Abi and I, but they will come up anytime either one of us is doing a big part for the first time. They have been incredibly supportive of us over the years and it means so much to me when they are in the audience.

20) If you weren’t a dancer, what occupation would you see yourself in?

Dance has been such a huge part of my life and my development as an adult that it is hard to see myself doing anything else. I love golf, but don’t know that I would have been good enough to make it in that field. I love to teach so maybe I would have been a teacher or instructor of some kind. Who knows….

For more images from my shoot with Jonathan, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235806&id=256421562292

Fore more information on NYCB or CPYB, please visit:

http://www.nycballet.com/nycb/home/

http://www.cpyb.org/

Barre Boys ~ One step closer to a dream!

Aaron Smyth, the talented dancer from the Gold Coast of Australia began his ballet training at the age of 12. Aaron knew, however, if he wanted to reach his goals of traveling and dancing professionally, with any company really, he had to come to the states. Leaving Australia, Aaron had one big dream – to dance in ABT!

In pursuit of his dream, Aaron began training at the JKO School (training facility for ABT) and eventually landed a spot in ABT2. Unlike some other second companies, ABT2 is not just a studio company. ABT’s second company offers dancers an opportunity to tour, stateside and abroad as well as dance Principal roles, which Aaron cites Romeo from Romeo & Juliet and Basilio in Don Q as his favorites!

His charisma, stage presence and pure talent have also led Aaron to many notable competitions in his career, including IBC Jackson with his partner Alys Shee and the prestigious McDonald’s Ballet Scholarship where he was a finalist performing at the Sidney Opera House!

If not ABT, what other companies would he be interested in? e cited that outside of ABT, his dream companies would be either San Francisco Ballet or Paris Opera Ballet. Though quite different than the slow pace back home, Aaron is finding the hustle and constant bustle of the big city, very fun and is hoping to stay a while!

To see images from our shoot, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=221315&id=256421562292

Barre Boys – Boston Ballet Principal, James Whiteside, talks Ballet, JBDubs and all that Jazz…

1. You did not start off in ballet. At what point did you start ballet and why?

I started jazz first and my teachers said “if you want to keep your
scholarship, you have to take ballet.” So, I did. Gradually, my interest in ballet grew and it lead me to inquire about ballet boarding schools.

2. Did you know that you wanted to come to Boston? How long have you been here? How long ago did you get promoted?

No, Boston was a surprise. I went to the Summer Dance Program and Mikko Nissinen offered me a BBII position with a little encouragement from my former teacher Raymond Lukens who would be directing BBII the upcoming season. This is my ninth season with Boston Ballet and I was promoted to Principal in 2008.

3. What’s your favorite role or ballet?

Albrecht in Giselle is my favorite role so far. It’s cliche but nothing else
has come close to making me feel as much as Giselle did.

4. What is your dream role?

I don’t know enough about dance to know what my dream role is. I only know that it was a dream after I’ve danced it.

5. Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Yes. I take a shower, blast music (usually a playlist I create specifically
for that program), apply makeup, take a ginseng shot (sometimes before but usually in between acts), and do a barre.

6. I understand you are an award winning jazz dancer, tell me about that.

My first dance school (D’valda & Sirico Dance Centre) had an amazing youth dance company and competition group. We travelled internatinonally to perform in festivals and competitions. I feel I’ve gained an edge from all those years of hardcore jazz training and competition and I’m eternally grateful for the experience those teachers gave me.

7. What music gets you pumped up to dance.

I love high energy pop and dance music before a show. Top 40 style music gets me really jazzed up.

8. Speaking of music… Who exactly is JBDubs? People in Boston say he is Bish!

JbDubs is my ferocious pop star alter-ego. I make all the
music/beats/melodies/lyrics and choreography/costumes for the live shows. My friends and co-performers have a lot of input too. I’m working on my latest music video with Scalped Productions (scalpedproductions.com ) for my song “So I Cry” which is currently available on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jbdubs/id382653904).

9. What are your career goals at this point?

I want to have enough experience and influence to be able to work on
multiple creative projects. Ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, modern, music, and art. I want to be able to dabble in many art forms. I refuse to limit myself.

For more images from our shoot, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=209892&id=256421562292