FEATURE
JITTERS AND JOY Performers making their company debuts navigate new environments, nervous anticipation and artistic pride. / L I BBY S L AT E / BEFORE SHE EVER hit her teens, Lindy Mesmer would look at dance company websites and dream of seeing her photo and bio onscreen as a member. In July, that dream came true. Mesmer joined the Joffrey Ballet as one of five new artists in the 2023-’24 season. In October, she danced several roles in a production of
Frankenstein. She will be in Anna Karenina when it plays at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown in June. For Mesmer, her Joffrey debut means “the culmination of 17-plus years of training and work. It’s really emotional for me. I have gone through a lot, a lot of ups, a lot of downs. ‘Debut’ is just five little letters, but it’s a really, really big deal. It fills me with a lot of pride.” Check out season announcements for just about any kind of arts company, and you’re apt to find notations
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