Inside DM
Swoon
In costume for Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Photo by Jayme Thornton.
Just about every woman
on our staff has a crush on Amar Ramasar. And no, not just because he’s so good-looking. There’s something in the way he lets his inner child come out to play onstage, dancing like he’s giddily challenging himself to see how fast, how high, how far he can go. It’s hard not to fall for him. In our cover story, writer Marina Harss explores how he’s recently
come into his own, developing the skills to tackle nearly any ballet in New York City Ballet’s repertoire. Yet he remains one of the company’s friendliest, most down-to-earth dancers.
Ramasar didn’t become such a compelling artist overnight. He’s worked on his approach diligently over the 15 years he’s spent on NYCB’s stage. Every dancer hopes to develop their talent over that many seasons, but not all get the chance. So we asked top veteran dancers how they’ve done it. Houston Ballet principal and mother of three Sara Webb, for example, cycles through a repertoire of daily core exercises, while 57-year-old tour de force Louise Lecavalier keeps her body balanced by taking classes in techniques that are different from what she’s performing.
One piece of advice they all offered was to search for work that’s right for your particular talents and disposition, something that will keep you inspired for decades. If you’re still trying to figure out what that might be, take a look at our “Auditions Guide”: In addition to over 100 job opportunities, we share advice on how to calm your audition anxiety, what mistakes turn off directors the most and more. Then get out there, and land your dream job.
Jennifer Stahl
Editor in Chief
