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“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with Anna Okuneva
What Ballerinas Actual18 ly Eat, Straight From the Dancers Themselves 32 ANDREW YEE CAPTURES BALLET FASHION FOR HOW TO SPEND IT 46 Svetlana Zakharova interview Côté Cour Put Together a 58 Ballet Dream Team to Debut Its New Collection 65 Amber Scott The Australian Ballet HOW FIVE BALLERINAS 78 GET READY FOR THE‘NUTCRACKER’
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“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with Anna Okuneva
We present our project created in cooperation with Tiffany
& Co. and the soloist of the Stanislavsky Music Theatre Anna Okuneva. As Holly Golightly said in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” about the store: “It calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there”. Our heroine has nothing in common with Holly Golightly, except for her love for Tiffany. We are also crazy about these diamonds, so we took the cab into the world of Tiffany to make this piece for you. 9
You started this season in a new theater. How did you come to such a radical decision – to move from the Bolshoi to the Stanislavs
No, I took me a long time to take it. Five years to be exact. At the Bolshoi theater, I knew what was waiting for me in the next ten years… And what waited for you?
When all is well, you don’t just leave the Bolshoi. I do not want to talk about everything, but there were some fundamental things that influenced my decision. I have long followed the repertoire of the Stanislavsky and always envied the performances of this theater. I position myself more as an artist of the contemporary repertoire than a classical ballerina. I prefer plastic and, it seems to me, it fits my personality. When I heard about Laurent’s plans for the new season, I was delighted to see all the people I always wanted to work with the list of choreographers: Naharin, Geke, Ekman! But this was not a spontaneous decision? 10
All the same repertoire, which I have been dancing for ten years now. And it’s unlikely that I would be able to get somewhere higher, but wait forever for them to finally start putting on new ballets of McGregor, Kylian or Forsyte is impossible. This is a dubious occupation – to live in anticipation. Therefore, having given ten years of m y life to the Bolshoi, I do not particularly regret that I left it. When, if
What are the risks of this transition? I wouldn’t call it risk. I am a person who is not quickly getting used to things, so when something changes in my life, it affects my state of health and condition. I have been working in the new theater for a month now and I can say that at first, it was rather difficult for me. I was getting used to a new space, time and even new editions of ballets But doesn’t such a delicate perception of change gets in your way, because the life of an artist generally lacks stability? Yes, it does. For me, the risks are always related to my psychological state. I found that such a problem doesn’t affect my physical form that much, but it does affect my psychological state. I can be in perfect physical shape, but if I’m not set up correctly, I can not give out the right result on the stage. And now I’m try-
ing to work on it, I try to go easy when it comes to some failures and difficulties. Of course, it does not always work, but I will continue working on it. 11
You went through a series of injuries after that isn’t it also extremely difficult to return on stage? Yes, certainly. I felt a wild lack of confidence in myself after the injury. After injuries, you have a completely different attitude to your body. Changes always begin inside, but changing the theater will surely help me to work on myself.
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How did it happen that you danced the same thing for ten years? You in fact were very successful during “Herman Schmerman� the ballet. Yes, but after this performance, it turned out that I missed almost all the ballet premieres of that period because of the injury that happened due to overload. And when I returned, I was no longer able to join those performances and slowly began to fade into the background. As if before, I was in a stream that led me to something, and then I seemed to cross this stream and could no longer on stress, than on actual work. get back into it. Of course, there were thoughts that I have to change something, Knowing your dedication and perhaps, to quit ballet. It was a performance, was this lack of vicious circle. demand difficult to handle? Yes, I had a hard time during that period. During the injury, I tried to switch: I gave masterclasses, worked on myself, tried to develop myself. But in the theater, it was just a barren time, where most of the strength was spent
You are now as fanatical at work as before. As far as I can remember, you constantly put additional work on the press and stretching? Do you not think that to some extent this excessive desire for 15
excellence has led you to injury? Yes, this excessive fanaticism led to the fact that I was doing everything possible, and I did not find any response from the audience or the management. It was a mental shock because I saw how some people dedicate much less time to the ballet and they all are more successful. I can not say that now I’m a fanatic. All that I do now is because of the love for my body. Pilates and special exercises, all this for my health, for my back, so that at forty years old I don’t feel like an old woman. Now I want to return to the condition where ballet is not a job, but rather as a hobby. Because when the ballet becomes a tool to earn money, it turns into a craft and creativity disappears. The ballet should not depend on well-being in life, in this profession, only creativity should thrive.
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A little bit about the new theater, with whom do you work now? Laurent introduces a new system of rehearsals, where different teachers are responsible for different, even the smallest roles. This, too, knocked me out of balance, because I was used to working with my teacher in the gym. Here everything is different, everything is focused on work, rather than relationships. I think this approach is good for me. Are you ambitious? What goals do you have now in the new theater? No, I’m not ambitious. This is exactly what Mahar Hasanovitch did not like (Mahar Vaziev – art director of the Bolshoi theater). When he first started working at the Bolshoi, he told me 17
to prepare the Dryad Lady, I said: “No!â€?. Because I think that I am not worthy to dance such a party. So my ambitions are bad đ&#x;™‚ I have an absolutely sober attitude to my abilities and I understand that there are people who will dance certain parts better then I will. But you understand that this is a pernicious thinking. How many dancers eventually danced the roles that didn’t fit them at first. Yes, I agree. It’s just that for some time now I’ve been thinking that
classics are f o r me. Let’s move away from ballet. We invited you to become the heroine of our project with Tiffany since we know that you absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn and always dreamed of starring Holly Golightly. Tell us, are you and Holly alike? Nope, not at all. Makeup and parties are not my things. I am very fami-
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ly-orientated. I do not drown out any problems with hangouts and connections with rich men. I am more inspired by Audrey herself because this is an unusually large latitude person who could truly love and give away that love. She went through a lot while remaining absolutely humble. I would also like to be like that and find resources for love, not only for myself and my loved ones but also for those in need. By the way, speaking about love, you recently became a bride. Another change?
sions myself. Began to listening more to myself. I feel the power, feel that I can change something in my life.
Yes, soon I will become a wife. This is a big change in everything. I’m super inspired. Now I’m starting to make most deci19
What Ballerinas Actually Eat, Straight From the Dancers Themselves
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allet dancers, like modern geishas or runway models, fall into the camp of ethereal beings we openly gush over for their innate sense of calm and poise. Elegant, lithe, and graceful, ballerinas have a physical prowess that makes them both mysterious and fascinating— so obviously, we want to know anything we can about their daily routines (in a totally noncreepy way, we swear). Health junkies that we are, we’re particularly interested in learning about what ballerinas eat. Aren’t you curious to know what someone must consume
to stay that lean and strong? “A common misconception is that we don’t eat, which is totally not true,” says New York City Corps ballet dancer Kristen Segin. “If anything, sometimes we have to eat more just to make it through the day. My mantra is everything in moderation.” “Ballerinas are athletes. We need to eat well in order to feel good, maintain energy, and avoid injury,” says New York City Ballet soloist Brittany Pollack. 21
Both Pollack and Segin agree that proteins, vegetables, and fruits are the best foods to get through long rehearsal days. As for eating before the show, Segin doesn’t like eating on a full stomach but will have a small snack if she’s hungry, such as nuts or a protein bar. Pollack’s go-to before performing is a turkey sandwich and banana. Do they eat like us mere mortals otherwise? Absolutely. “My favorite food is pasta,” says Segin. “I always crave it after a long day,” Pollack agrees and says that you can’t go wrong with the classic Italian dish.
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For a detailed breakdown of the foods that get ballet dancers through shows and everyday life, we caught up with registered dietitian Joy Bauer, the official nutritionist to the New York City Ballet, and asked her exactly what foods she prescribes to her throng of prima ballerinas.
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BREAKFAST To start each day on the right foot, Bauer says she always tells the ballerinas to skip the bowl of cereal. “Forget sugary cereals—they’re made mostly of simple carbs that spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling sluggish (and hungry!) a couple of hours later,” she says. “Also, it’s not a good idea to gobble down a bagel with butter and fruit juice—that’s pure carbs and fat. Where’s the protein?!” For a healthy breakfast worthy of a top ballerina, Bauer suggests choosing the “dynamic duo” of protein and fiber. “Protein helps to wake up your brain cells and stoke your metabolism,” she explains. “The protein-fiber combo helps to maintain your energy level and keep you feeling satisfied until lunch.” A few of the breakfast options she recommends? Eggs with whole grain toast, a Greek yogurt parfait with berries and granola, and even leftover chicken vegetable stirfry from last
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LUNCH I f
you think ballerinas have salads for lunch, you’re right. But the salads Bauer prescribes are loaded with proteins and antioxidants. “A veggie-packed salad with a good p r o tein source, like grilled chicken or fish, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, or black beans, provides the added benefit of phytonutrients and antioxidants needed to energize you on a cellular level,” she says. Another lunch option? Wraps with whole grain tortillas, preferably. Bauer recommends filling them with turkey, avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes for a good on-the-go fix. If you’re in the mood for something more filling, Bauer says she recommends hearty soups (like lentil, black bean, minestrone, and chicken noodle) to the ballerinas. “Also, peanut butter and sliced bananas, apples, or berries on whole grain bread are delicious and energizing,” she says.
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DINNER “Because dancers try to eat light during the day to minimize bloating while at rehearsals, dinner tends to be more voluminous,� Bauer explains. Ideally, she says an evening meal should be balanced. That means plenty of lean protein for muscle recovery (think chicken, fish, pork tenderloin, lentils, and tofu), antioxidant-rich vegetables to alleviate soreness (like broccoli, peppers, and carrots), and whole grains to replenish stored fuel for the following day (try quinoa, brown rice, or whole wheat pasta).
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SNACKS And finally, we reach the wonderful world of snacks. What do ballet dancers reach for when they’re feeling the midday slump? “I recommend planning snacks that provide long-lasting energy and don’t spike your blood sugar,” Bauer says. “The ticket here is to choose munchies that include a mix of protein and fiber.” For dancers who are watching their weight, she recommends capping snacks at 200 calories, with options like a fiber-rich apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter, bell peppers with a quarter-cup of hummus, Greek yogurt with a banana, or homemade trail mix made with whole grain cereal and one to two tablespoons of almonds and raisins. For days when you (or the ballet dancers) haven’t planned ahead, Bauer suggests her snack line, Nourish Snacks, which includes over 25 flavors of perfectly portioned snacks that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants—and all for under 200 calories. “They’re strategically formulated to keep you running on all cylinders,” she says.
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DEsSERT When a dancer’s sweet tooth comes in full force, Bauer tells them to try making her banana chocolate chip “ice cream,” no-bake key lime pie, and black bean brownies. “Frozen fruit straight from the freezer bag is another easy option—it tastes like an Italian ice without all the sugar and junk,” she says. As for her advice to the dancers when they’re craving something really unhealthy? “I promote and personally follow a 90/10 food philosophy—go out of your way to eat healthy 90% of the time and allow yourself 10% wiggle room for fun (unhealthy) indulgences,” she explains. “Be selective, watch portions, and savor every delicious bite. No regrets required.” Even athletes are allowed to splurge, after all, but then it’s right back to their healthy eating regimen
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ANDREW YEE CAPTURES BALLET FASHION FOR HOW TO SPEND IT
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Called to the Barre – The latest issue of How to Spend It puts the spotlight on ballet-inspired fashions with this dreamy shoot captured by Andrew Yee of Atelier Management. Models Ilva Heitmann, Vasilla Pavlova, Veranika Antsipava, Anastasia Ivanova, Stephanie Hall, Anne Sofie, Alexa Yudina, Regina Krilow, Maria Borges and Ana Buljevic wear romantic designs from the likes of Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab Couture and Vivienne Westwood Couture styled by Damien Foxe. These prima ballerinas’ looks are completed with paint- ed faces and stage-ready hair courtesy of makeup artist Robert Greene and hair stylist Shlomi Mor.
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Costume, ballet’s own. Ann Taylor ($68). Village of Merrick Park, 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables; anntaylor.com. Lace heels, Valentino Garavani by Philip Treacy ($4,700). Neiman Marcus, see above
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Marchesa ($3,300). Neiman Marcus, see above. Gloves and cape, stylist’s own. Ballet slippers and hairpiece, dancer’s own
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Top, Uli Herzner ($456). Oxygene, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave.; oxygeneboutique.com. Trimmed corset, Roberto Rodriguez ($256). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops; saks. com. Leather pants, Guilty Brotherhood ($1,405). Oxygene, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave.;
Crystal-embellished top ($2,080), crystal-and-satin cummerbund ($825), Stefano Ricci. Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700
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Valentino, (1200$) Thomas sabo (1150$), Valentino Garavani (500$)
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Givenchy(500$), (35$)
Hermes
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oxygeneboutique.com. Necklace used as bracelet, Ann Taylor ($58). Village of Merrick Park, 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables; anntaylor.com. Slippers, dancer’s own.
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Elie Saab (1200$), Christian Louboutin (324$)
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Costume, ballet’s own. Pearl drop bracelet, Ann Taylor ($68). Village of Merrick Park, 350 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables; anntaylor. com. Lace heels, Valentino Garavani by Philip Treacy ($4,700). Neiman Marcus, see above
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PHOTOGRAPHER : Andrew Yee
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Svetlana Zakharova interview: I cried many times - I was just a child
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Svetlana
Zakharova is a will o’ the wisp.
and its red-and-gold boxes seem tawdry and try-hard. She is so spare, so contained, so like an ivory Madonna, with On stage, she has no weight. her heart-shaped face and She is now a swallow, now a high cheekbones. starling, now a heron, a hummingbird, a kingfisher. In the first of the three acts, Francesca da Rimini, set to But when she waves her hands Tchaikovsky, she wears a to halt rehearsal and comes to white wedding dress to dance the front of the Bolshoi stage Dante’s doomed heroine, sent to remonstrate — the orchesto the Inferno for loving her tra is playing too fast, can’t husband’s brother Paolo. In the conductor control them? Rain Before It Falls (Bach), it is — she stands with her hands a dress of violet silk, which, in on hips and commands the motion, is like a crocus opendirector, sitting in the dark of ing. In Strokes Through The the auditorium. A wisp, but a Tail (Mozart), she wears a tulle formidable one. tutu and tailcoat (her five male suitors also wear tutus, and Backstage, after the dress revery pretty they look, too). hearsal for Amore, a triple-bill of new ballets brought from Off stage, she changes into Moscow to the Coliseum this a grey tracksuit, loose on her month, Zakharova, talked of sapling body. She fidgets with as the great ballerina of her an iPhone. It is 10.30am and generation, distorts the surshe is pale and tired. The prerounding space. miere is tomorrow. The Bolshoi’s pink corridors 49
But ask her when she first knew she wanted to dance and she sits up straight, straight as only a ballerina can, and smiles. She was never a “bun-head” — one of those little girls of five or six already doing pliés in the playground. “No, it came much later,” she says. “I think I only started thinking seriously about the ballet when I was already studying it. At 14, I started noticing that I could do it better than anyone else, and I had courage, a child’s courage, to be greater than the other children.” She says this without arrogance, only certainty. “Our tutors were swearing at me the same amount as anyone else, so I couldn’t understand if I was better than the others or not. But when we had an independent commission of judges… I had the best marks.” Did she cry at night when her tutors shouted? “No, I was 50
crying right there in the class.” Was she homesick? “Yes, terribly. I cried many times, especially the first two years. I was a little child.” Born in Lutsk in Ukraine in 1979, to a choreographer mother and serviceman father, at the age of 10 Zakharova went to the Kiev Choreographic School. She longed for the holidays. The first thing she wanted to do when she came home was play with her dolls. Were her dolls ballerinas, too? She shakes her head — “Niet” — as if the last thing she wanted was to bring the classroom home. Buy tickets to see Svetlana Zakharova in Amore at Evening Standard Tickets But it made her determined. “I learnt how to do everything myself. I became grown up aged 10.” She joined the Kirov Ballet, now the Mariinsky, in St Petersburg at 17. 51
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It was the dancer (and sometime Sex and the City actor) Mikhail Baryshnikov who made her a star. She beams at his name: he is her patron saint. She was performing at Versailles with the Mariinsky. After one gala night, the director told her: “Oh, Svetlana, Mikhail Baryshnikov was here tonight. He never comes backstage, so don’t wait for him, but he wanted you to know how much he admired you.” A year later, the phone rang. “They told me they were calling from the Paris Grand Opera. I thought it was a prank. They said they wanted to invite me to dance La Bayadère.” She gives a little OMG fan-girl scream.
Paris, everyone knew about me and started talking about me.” She had hoped to dance with Baryshnikov. “But he never comes to Russia. [He defected from the Soviet Union to Canada in 1970, when the Kirov were on tour to Toronto.] So I’ve had to let go of that dream.” A lot depends, she says, on the right partner. And if she doesn’t get on with them? “Then,” she says with a smile of conspiracy, “I just have to become an actress.”
In Amore she wanted to show three different sides to herself. In Francesca she is tragic, passionate, pitiful. In Rain, beguiling, inscrutable. In Strokes, the “After the premiere, Brigette most graceful of clowns. “I like Lefèvre [the director] said to to be funny, to be a hooligan.” me: ‘You know why I invited you? Because Mikhail Barysh- It’s rare that she gets the nikov told me to go to Ver- chance. When asked how she sailles to see you dance’. After unwinds after a performance, 53
she says: “I don’t. I just carry on. If you start to distract yourself, if you think you should have some rest, it’s really hard to get back afterwards. I try to keep the same pace: classes, rehearsals. The body is so used to routine that it doesn’t answer to you in the right way if you don’t keep it up. So I try not to relax, not to rest.”
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Does her body hurt? “Always. I don’t like to talk about it much. Over the course of a life you start to live with it and to fight against it, and to prepare your body for the next day.”
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She allows herself small pleasures. “If I want something, I don’t say no. I like cappuccino with a croissant in the morning, after dinner I always have some dessert. Without chocolate I could not live.”
vertically up like the hands of a watch.” She does read her critics. “Sometimes I feel offended, sometimes I agree with them, sometimes not. We don’t have that many professional and good ballet critics, but the best ones are mostly in London. There’s no other city where I am so interested in the critics’ reaction. How many stars I get for a performance.”
At home with her husband Vadim Repin, 45, a violinist, and their daughter Anna, six, she dances in the kitchen. “Yes, I jump around a little bit with my daughter.” It’s too early to judge Anna’s potential but Svetlana would like Zakharova is not only priher to follow her into dance. ma ballerina but producer “It’s a beautiful job.” of Amore. She is 37 and the question “What next?” pressLondon is close to her heart. It es on her. “It’s a pity I don’t was the first city she came to have a choreographer’s talon tour at 17. Asked about her ent. I hope I will have years memories of London, it isn’t of dancing ahead of me, but I parks, galleries or even Covent understand that there will be a Garden. She remembers what moment when I have to stop. the critics wrote about her. I just hope that my future will be connected with this art, Writing in the Financial Times, with dance. Theatre is my life. Clement Crisp gave a raptur- And I want so much to carry ous review. “He called me ‘Six on doing what I love.” o’clock’ because my leg went 57
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Côté Cour Put Together a Ballet Dream Team to Debut Its New Collection (& It’s Amazing)
NYCB’s Miriam Miller and Unity Phelan in Côté Cour. Photo by Erin Baiano.
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How do you make a
leotard line stand out when there are so many options? Erica Sabatini, a former soloist with Carolina Ballet, makes it look easy with her pairing of architectural designs and bright colors. Before officially launching CôtÊ Cour in 2015, Sabatini’s interest in fashion was sparked during her Balanchine-based training at the Miami City Ballet School.
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“ fell head over heels for the architecture and color palette of the Art Deco influence that is so prevalent in South Beach,” Sabatini says. “The neo-classical Balanchine sass became synonymous with the eclectic rhythm of South Beach, and I began to dream up leotard designs that captured the contrasts and complements between the two. Phelan in MIA Multi Turquoise. Photo by Erin Baiano
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As a result, Sabatini’s fashion choices
always stood out in class—often trading in traditional dancewear for her mother’s old statement pieces, which included 80s high-cut,
Japanese-inspired bodysuits and colorful Emilio Pucci printed leggings and hair scarves. “I would live-stream the Marc Jacobs show during New York Fashion Week before heading to the barre,” she says on knowing that her post-ballet career would involve fashion. Ph Phelan and Miller in POETTO Classic. Photo by Erin Baia
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After internships
with former dancewear brand LOLA Stretch and fashion labels like Veronica Beard and Elizabeth & James, Sabatini switched to the fashion industry once she retired from Carolina Ballet and moved to New York City in 2014. Crea t ing
Miller in CC x AMD Jaune skirt. Photo by Erin Baiano
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Côté Cour just a year later, Sabatini’s detailed designs are all handmade in NYC by CFDA manufacturers.
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her latest Côté Cour launches (available now on her site), Sabatini brought together a crew of former and current ballerinas to bring her vision to life. “I wanted to collaborate with dancers because it’s a language that no one else can truly speak,” Sabatini explains. “It was also important for me to work with a group of females looking to do something outside of the box within the dance community.”
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or her Balanchine turned high-fashion shoot, Sabatini immediately knew she wanted to work with photographer and former American Ballet Theatre dancer Erin Baiano. “She’s not only photographed top fashion shows (including Delpozo, which inspired the shoot), but she shares in my understanding of the delicate balance between the art of ballet and the commerce of fashion,” Sabatini says. She also teamed up with fellow dancer-designer Abigail Mentzer, together creating Jaune, a new slinky skirt exclusive to Côté Cour’s site.
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o model her designs, Sabatini had her eye on two New York City Ballet dancers, corps member Miriam Miller and soloist Unity Phelan. “I’m shorter, so I never had the opportunity to dance some of the stronger female roles that Balanchine designated for his tall girls. I knew I wanted to work with a tall dancer for this photoshoot, and I immediately remembered seeing Miriam on stage and thinking, ‘Who is that?’ I was equally floored by Unity,” Sabatini says before adding that it all comes back to her original inspiration: Balanchine. “Both girls are absolutely stunning, but more importantly, they both embody the Balanchine movement quality I’m so attracted to.”
Miller and Phelan in MIA Multi Pink and MIA Multi Turquoise. Photo by Erin Baiano.
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Amber Scott The Australian Ballet ''Ballet is what I do, it’s what I am''
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The Aus-
tralian Ballet is bringing their unique version of Swan Lake to London’s Coliseum – it’s a story loosely based on the love triangle of Princess Diana, Prince Charles & Camilla. Australians are fascinated by the royals, and this is both a psychological and a heart melting adaptation. The role of Odette is somewhat different, she essentially has a breakdown and finds herself in an asylum hallucinating swans. Amber Scott, principal artist, is opening Swan Lake as Odette. This is a role that is close to her heart, as it was the first role that she was plucked from the corps to dance. 68
Amber is a home grown ballerina and she’s enjoyed the dream Australian ballet career, starting with The Australian Ballet School, joining The Australian Ballet and becoming an adored
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principal artist who holds a special place in the hearts of Australian audiences.
do as many shows.
The Australian Ballet has a reputation for being one of Growing up Amber always the hardest working comdreamed of joining The Aus- panies, performing 180 tralian Ballet, and after only shows a year and Amber a year in the corps, Amber has just finished doing 25 was given the opportunity back to back performancto spend 4 months with The es. Ballet is notoriously Royal Danish Ballet, learn- hard work, with a daily rouing the beautiful Bournon- tine of morning class, reville technique. Amber in hearsals and performance her open and honest style – dance, eat, sleep, repeat! recalls her shock, “One day I was called into the office Amber describes the comand I thought ‘this is it, I’m pany’s ballerinas as having out’ but instead I was of- real ‘grit’ – that’s Austrafered to go to Denmark on lian for determined, strong, exchange.” resilient, “There’s quite a physicality to our compaIt was an eye opening expe- ny, everyone is quite differrience, both culturally and ent and unique – it’s not a from a dance perspective row of lollipops standing giving Amber exposure to there. We have a healthy different dance styles, dif- environment that encourferent training and differ- ages strong and healthy ent dancers from around dancers.” the world. But it was the difference in pace that was I asked Amber what motinoticeable as they didn’t vates her everyday, “You 70
notonous as it gets and as tired as you get, it always makes you feel better. It’s like a good daily ritual. As a dancer you take physical pride in your body because you’ve spent a lifetime trying to perfect it. A lot of
dancers are high achieving types, they’re quite driven.” And all this preparation off stage is for Amber’s favourite moment – being on stage, “It’s my favourite part because that’s just keep doing it don’t you! the reward. I’ve made myI’ve always thought of bal- self learn to love rehearslet and dance not as a job, als and made myself slow it’s just what I do, it’s what down, to take time. Often I am. It’s a natural exten- in our company, especialsion of me and not doing ly when you’re younger, class in the morning would if you get an opportunity be quite strange. As mo- to do a great role it’s like 71
Photography Jeff Busby
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quick quick, rehearse rehearse, that will do, great go, do a show and you’re like ‘oh good that’s done, I didn’t fail, it was fine’.” But now Amber likes to spend more time rehearsing the principal roles, making every moment count, slowing down, taking the pace back and refining more.
At 34 Amber has seen the dance world change, growing up before YouTube and Instagram and now we’re in times where there’s dinky (Aussie for ‘young’) dancers with their own YouTube channels. I ask Amber what advice she would give aspiring dancers and she gives a sensible answer that can only come from an When Amber first start- acclaimed ballerina with a ed dancing this version of long career, “Don’t be seOdette, she read up on Prin- duced by the fame and the cess Diana to understand glamour of competitions what she experienced and and YouTube trying to do what it would feel like to be a glittery solo on pointe in the royal family, to be a when you’re 10.” beautiful woman in a hard world and have everything “Ballet’s not a race and it crash down on you. Sweet- doesn’t matter if you can ly, Amber now sprays the achieve something at 10 same perfume that Prin- or you achieve it at 25, it cess Diana wore before she sounds so cliché but it’s the goes on stage. It’s a small journey to get there and I act that reflects Amber’s think sometimes as young feeling and respect for Di- people you want to rush it.” ana. It’s a beautiful senti- I feel somewhat reticent ment. about asking Amber if she’s considered what she would 73
many more years as possible and then just let it happen, let the body decide what’s best for it. Because the challenge is hoping that you get the choice to stop, not your body, but knowing when to surrender maybe down to the fact that you can’t do what you used to do, but hopefully that’s not for quite a few more years.” Amber reflects on the change in dance culture, “Things have certainly changed, I didn’t go to competitions in New York do after her career on stage – I mean they sound terricomes to an end. But she’s fying actually! It does seem already starting studying like it’s the culture for the anatomy, and has a keen young ones to go to a cominterest in podiatry having petition and get a sponsorspent her life looking at her ship to a school overseas, and other people’s feet. but ultimately you just need to get really good training.” When I ask how she will she know when the time And The Australian Ballet will come to stop dancing, School and The Australian Amber starts by saying Ballet provides amazing that she hopes to have “as training and in her lovely 74
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Australian manner, that’s so down to earth, she reminds young Australian dance students that you don’t need to go overseas to have a great career, “I couldn’t have been happier to have stayed here and I feel so well supported. There’s so many companies that I admire around the world but we don’t want to lose too many great Aussie dancers!”
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HOW FIVE BALLERINAS GET READY FOR THE ‘NUTCRACKER’ As enchanting as quintessential holiday ballet George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” is on stage, what happens behind the scenes is equally magical. That’s especially true if you love beauty–after a lifetime of primping for recitals, shows, and performing with the dance company, New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancers are experts when it comes to makeup. They arrive one to two hours before showtime to start prepping, and, although supervisors from the hair and makeup department are on site to help, the dancers largely do their stage looks on their own. From applying crazy long false lashes, to contouring, these ladies have mastered countless tricks. Here, five NYCB dancers demonstrate their dramatic stage transformations and let ELLE.com in on their favorite beauty products and multi-step skincare routines. 81
Lauren Lovette, Principal Dancer 82
Growing up, were you a beauty junkie? I’ve always loved makeup. My mom didn’t let me wear it when I was younger. I was only able to wear mascara when I was 14. When I was 12, I remember my mom had thrown away this Mary Kay gold body shimmer that came in one of the free packets and I stole it out of the trash and I would just put it on my eyelids–I was always thinking I could get away with stuff that I really couldn’t get away with. How would you describe this character’s makeup?
What are some tips you’ve learned backstage?
It’s lighter, with pinks and purples–girly. Sugarplum is everything that’s sweet in the world, and she’s sort of the queen of this perfect candy land. She’s motherly and kind of angelic in a way.
You are kind of on your own. You do it every day, so you get better and you kind of figure out what works for your face. We had some principals—it’s funny because now I’m on the other side a little bit—but I remember principal danc83
ers coming to my dressing room when I was an apprentice and sort helping me out and being like, ‘This is what you should do for your eye!’ and ‘Use these colors.’ It’s fun because you get to play, so I do something different for all the different roles that I get to do. One of my favorite tips is to use my fingers [to apply eyeshadow]. I learned that from Sara Mearns, a principal dancer with us, a couple of years ago. It’s so much easier to blend when you’re hands-on. This eyeshadow is actually a blush! Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush..
How long does it take you to do makeup? I get to the theater an hour and a half to two hours early and I like to give myself a good forty minutes to put on my makeup. It just gets me in the zone. I kind of like the process of doing my own makeup. You don’t necessarily have to. You can request to get it done, but there’s something about it that puts me in the mood for the show and it helps. I feel very calm when I’m doing it. It’s meditative. What’s your off-duty makeup like? I always wear concealer Revlon Photo-Ready Concealer because I just feel like I need it under my eyes—I have dark circles. Then,
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I like to do like a brown pencil on my eyebrows sometimes, but it just depends. Mostly I’ll just do concealer and a little mascara. I do like lipstick a lot–especially in the brown, frappuccino, coffee-color category. How do you remove your stage makeup? I love Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes. My face isn’t red at all after. And Simple Foaming Facial Cleanser is the face wash I use. I’ll use the Neutrogena Ulra Light Cleansing Oil if I
have on something really intense. Sometimes I’ll wash [my face] twice depending on how much makeup I’m wearing, and then the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is the only one I use on my face. 85
How do you rehab your skin? I’ve done a couple of facials this year, but I’ve found that my skin is so sensitive. Simple is better. I just use Aveeno lotion. I’ve tried so many different moisturizers and that’s the only one that my skin doesn’t freak out with. It’s just the best.
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Meagan Mann, corps de ballet 87
How would you describe this character’s makeup? More browns and coppers and golds, less bubbly pink and purple, which is what I would do for all the other parts in Nutcracker. It’s a little bit more sultry–just like the dance. It’s my favorite role, for sure, just because it’s really different from anything else that I get to do at New York City Ballet. It’s so slow and controlled, and just the fact that you get out on stage and you’re the only one out there. Growing up, were you a beauty junkie? Not really. I’m kind of proud of how far I’ve come because when I look at [old] pictures I feel like I was not good at my makeup. I didn’t really experiment that much with makeup when I was little.
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What are some tips that you’ve picked up from being backstage? Michael Avedon was this amazing makeup artist with the NYCB and he taught each apprentice how to do their makeup. It was like this special rite of passage. They gave you whatever products you needed. At one point, all five apprentices shared one powder. [I’ve learned that] sometimes, less is more. You can always add more but you can’t take [makeup] away. For my eyes–I’ve learned to draw my eyeliner wings so that it goes up, then
I put a little white liner under the black line, then a second black line under my bottom line. It just opens up my eyes. I also am obsessed with the M.A.C. Eye Shadows and the M.A.C. Contour Palette. I love Diorshow Mascara. How long does it take you to do your makeup? Sometimes I can do it in like 15 minutes, and if I’m taking my time, about a half hour. How do you remove your stage makeup? I’m really into Bioderma Micellar Water now. I’ve also used the Neutrogena makeup remover wipes and the Kiehl’s Cen-
tella Skin-Calming Facial Cleanser as face wash. That’s my favorite face wash at the moment. I always put on moisturizer every morning and every night Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream. Sometimes I do multiple layers just to let my skin recover. That one is really thick and makes 89
my skin feel like it can calm down after I’ve washed all those layers of pancake off. Sometimes I wash my face twice after removing the makeup. Every once in a while I’ll use grapeseed oil as lotion. How do you rehab your skin? I like doing masks—I just started getting into that because of my friends. They have all these Korean beauty treatments that I don’t even know what they are, but sometimes when I go over to my friend’s house—we have this ritual on Sunday night of watching a TV show, so we used to watch Game of Thrones and now we’re watching WestWorld–he’ll give us all a face mask and we’ll sit there on the couch together doing face masks.
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Lauren King, Soloist 91
cause it just looks like you don’t have lips when you’re on stage. So I do a red lip. Growing up, were you a beauty junkie? Not really. I started dancing when I was 10, which is a little bit later than most people, so I was probably 11 or 12 doing my own beauty, which is still pretty young to be wearing all-out makeup! But I never was wearing makeup not on stage. I was never the girl who really wanted to wear my mom’s makeup. How would you describe this character’s makeup? The Dewdrop costume is very sheer and minimal— it’s almost like lingerie. Lighter. So, I’ll do like a pinktoned eye just to match the costume. Keep it fresh. It’s funny, because I always want to do a really light lip, but it doesn’t read well be92
What are some tips you’ve learned backstage? For me, I have to highlight a lot of my features or like darken a lot of them because I’m so light. Like when I first got in, I didn’t realize I had to make my eyebrows so much darker. Literally, I would just look like I have
no eyebrows. You learn what to do for y o u r own features and my eyes are pretty wide-set already, so I don’t r e a l l y have that problem [of] trying to like bring them out. But I think everyone on stage—you try make your features look bigger. Because of the stage lights you have to cake it on. I like using M.A.C pigment in Kitschmas. It’s a little bit shimmery! It makes me happy.
up like? Natural. If I have mascara on my eyelashes my eyes get really itchy. So I just don’t—and plus we have to cake it on so much, I
How long does it take you to do your makeup? I usually give myself an hour but I can probably do it in like 20 minutes if I had to. What’s your off-duty make93
need to feel my skin be able to breathe. How do you remove your stage makeup? In a rush I’ll use a face wipe, but I prefer to use makeup remover–the Bioré Cleansing Oil. It feels really gentle and it makes my skin feel a little bit more hydrated and not as cranky and irritated after taking it off. My skin is definitely pretty sensitive and gets irritated.I’ve also been trying to do a more natural, oil-based routine, so I’ve been using like a rosehip seed oil moisturizer. How do you rehab your skin? I like to do face masks at home. I like the Lush ones!
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Olivia MacKinnon, corps de ballet 95
How would you describe this character’s makeup?
using smaller brushes to define and make everything really sharp-looking. She knows all the perfect colors to match and what would be the best eye shadow color to use for your face. I think that NYCB for sure, our dancers do a lot of makeup. Like compared to other companies it’s like everything—full face—and that’s good. It definitely takes more time and more preparation but I love it.
I don’t really do certain “look” for a part because I have so many parts in the show. But, I would give [Snowflake] a dewier, softer look. The eye shadow wouldn’t be as dark; I would make it really light-looking. Then, I add sparkles because snowflakes are sparkly. No red lip because the blue lighting—it would just reflect badly. So, I would do like a softer brownish-pink. [For this look], I use a ClGrowing up were you a beauty junkie? I started doing my own makeup maybe when I was 10 or 11 in the company with Mobile Ballet. What are some tips yo’ve learned backstage? Karla [Elie, NYCB MakeupArtist]— she’s incredible. She has taught me so many tricks— 96
StarBlend [foundation], Karla gives us all this, to pancake on. It makes it not as shiny because the first base that I put on is very shiny. This tones it down; it’s like more of a pancake and then I set it all with powder after. It’s lot of base steps, for sure. How long does it take you to do your makeup? I’ve gotten really fast. If I want it to look nice, 30 minutes. inique Face Primerthen I put white grease around my eyes–it’s like a foundation but just white. It’s very heavy so it’ll stay a while and it’s fine when you sweat a lot. Then we use Mehron
What’s your off-duty makeup like? Using all those products is definitely hard on your skin because it’s such concentrated stuff. So, my day-to97
day makeup is light, like I love Glossier, I use like all their products. It’s so all-natural and I love it. It’s not too hard on your skin and the scents aren’t overpowering. a wipe, the lavender Neutrogena ones.They’re calming for your face. How do you rehab your skin?
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I love facials. It would be amazing if I could do one every month but of course that can’t happen. The best time to get a facial is when I finish a season because my face has gone through so much stage makeup. So usually I like to do it like end of season like as a gift to myself. Just go to Bliss Spa or something and get a facial. Amazing. My pores are so clogged at the end of the season, so it’s a good time. The line Babor also has a good face moisturizer that is a little bit of a thicker base than the Glossier Priming Moisturizer that I use.
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Rachel Hutsell, corps de ballet 100
How would you describe this character’s makeup? It’s very cute. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve ever had putting on my makeup! It’s just the most outrageous you can be with your makeup–that’s what I really like about it. Growing up, were you a beauty junkie? When I was like six to 12 years old, I was really into makeup. I would watch a lot of Michelle Phan tutorials. I’m still a big fan of hers. But, I think when I started performing more and started having to do more stage makeup, my love for makeup in everyday life slowly disintegrated just because I was always in such thick makeup on stage [that] I didn’t want to have that on all the time.
you’ve learned backstage? Just taking my time, staying calm, and not being afraid to ask questions. Blending my eyeshadow as much as possible because for me, blending is essential to the proper color gradient. Also, for the eyeliner, I just try to evenly match it. It actually helps me to put my eyelashes on first before I put my eye liner on, because then I can see the way that the eyelashes go and use that as a map to follow for my wings. How do you get the perfect red circles?
I use the cap of a water bottle to create the outline.That is the way that all the kids in Nutcracker have been doing their cheeks. I used to take care of the kids backstage before they would go on, so I would do their What are some tips that cheeks with the bottle cap 101
and paintbrush. How do you r e m o v e your stage makeup? If I’m in really, really heavy makeup, I use Ponds– both the cold cream and the wipes, together. It just
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depends on how much makeup I’ve had on, and for how long. If it’s been on for a little longer, five or six hours, I don’t usually need the cold cream. But, if it’s been like a quick two-hour time period, I’ll use the cold cream because at that point, the makeup
hasn’t had the chance to melt off as much yet. What’s your off-duty makeup like? I use a lot of Glossier products and so I’ll use like their Perfecting Skin Tint and Stretch Concealer, and like their boy brow, then maybe a little bit of mascara. It’s usually pretty light. I try to allow my skin the chance to breathe. How do you rehab your skin? Along with the Glossier products, I use a Julep Night Shift face mask. I put a really thick layer on my face every night. It’s like a sleeping mask so I just put it on and by the time I wake up in the morning it’s like completely absorbed and my skin just feels really, really good.
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