Sterling Hyltin in Jerome Robbins Afternoon of a Faun photo @Paul Kolnik
I wanted to share an interview I had with principal dancer Sterling Hyltin. Sterling was invited to become an apprentice of New York City Ballet in 2002, becoming a member of the corps de ballet in June 2003, promoted to soloist in 2006 and principal in 2007.
1. You were pregnant with your first child before the pandemic, so you have not been able to dance for the last year and half. What do you miss most about not being in the theater and able to perform?
It has felt like an incredibly long time to not dance and perform! In some ways, it has felt like an extremely long maternity leave for me. There are two experiences I miss the very most. One is the thrillingly exuberant feeling of hearing our orchestra or one of our spectacular pianists in performance and getting to dance to their live music. The second is the excitement backstage before a show. It is really incredible to have had an end of the day rehearsal with a rather exhausted group of colleagues and see the very same group bustling with a hive-like energy only a couple of hours later in anticipation of the rising curtain!
2. Your daughter is a year now. What have you discovered or enjoyed this past year with spending more time with your family?;
Oh, my goodness, I have had the silver lining of spending the entire first year plus of my daughter’s life without ever leaving her. I haven’t felt worried to miss anything! Also, my husband and I do not typically have a shared day off together unless it is the off-season for NYCB; so, I have cherished all this time with him.
3. Now that we are gearing up for our return to live performances, how have you been staying in shape and continuing your training?
Well, first off, I am fortunate enough to be on faculty at School of American Ballet and have been teaching six virtual classes a week. So, that eased me into ballet again and now I’ve added my own ballet classes that I take (also virtually) through NYCB. Additionally, I do pilates to strengthen my core since my pregnancy and delivery, and I have been taking cardio tennis classes. Oh, and I try to stretch!
4. You’ve been with the Company for 18 years now, what do you love most about NYCB?
What I love most about NYCB, hands down, is the legacy I am blessed enough to help perpetuate. A legacy that I feel worried for after the havoc of COVID. The steps of Balanchine, Robbins and today’s greats of Ratmansky, Peck and Wheeldon that I get to learn and perform is unparalleled. And dancing to the musical choices of these choreographers, oh the music! Puts a smile on my face just thinking of the decadence of it all!
5. You have danced works by Balanchine, Robbins and numerous contemporary choreographers. If you had to pick one ballet in our Repertory that was your favorite, what would it be?
Just one?! For a ballerina who typically favors whatever she’s dancing in that moment, that’s such a tough question! I suppose I would say George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant. I could dance that one over and over again. The ballet feels so incredibly intimate whether it’s a performance or a rehearsal. In fact, it’s the only ballet that I find rehearsal and performance feels almost the same. I have also been fortunate enough to be coached in this work by both originals, Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins. Receiving their eminent insight into such a special, heirloom of a ballet is incredibly meaningful to me. I also choose this ballet because it was Robert Fairchild’s retirement ballet and our frequent partnership will forever be a significant part of my career.
6. Every dancer brings a little bit of their own personality to their featured roles. Looking back on your illustrious career with the Company so far, what memory do you hope the audience takes away from your performances?
I hope audiences perhaps take away a view of versatility of my artistry in thanks to the wide variety of roles I have been fortunate enough to dance. But mostly, I hope that audience members take away the sense of gratitude I have to be a dancer of NYCB and to spend my days immersed in this dedicated, wondrous world. My mother always told me, “You’re only as great as you are grateful,” and I do not take any of it for granted.