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Dancers: Misty Copeland, James Whiteside
Choreographer: Marcelo Gomes
Photographer: Taylor Brandt
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What makes an artist? For such an important question, the answer can be maddeningly elusive, not to mention subjective. "I can count on my fingers the number of times I've returned to my dressing room after a performance feeling like I had made art on stage," says choreographer and American Ballet Theatre Principal dancer Marcelo Gomes. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've thought that magic didn't happen during your performances," countered an audience member.
This intimate conversation took place at a recent Discussion and Demonstration hosted by Youth American Grand Prix at City Center in NYC. YAGP Chairman Emeritus Barbara Brandt interviewed ABT dancers Marcelo Gomes, Misty Copeland, and James Whiteside about their definitions of being an artist and their process to achieve it.
One theme that emerged from all three dancers' considerations of artistry was the idea of constant process and improvement. "You never stop getting better," says Misty Copeland. "It's not necessarily that our bodies are more capable. There are no shortcuts. With more experience you become more believable."
According to Gomes, "It takes a lot of time, experience, and patience to become an artist. You have to be humble to be able to grow, make mistakes, and stretch yourself. The day I hit a ceiling and no longer feel like I'm growing is the day I should quit and do something else."
James Whiteside describes an artist as "someone who can create something from nothing and can see what they want to create in their minds." For Whiteside, this creativity is inseparable from experience. "I need lots of life to happen to be able to make and get what I need from art and dance," he says.
But what if you're cast in a role you've done countless times already? Or don't like the choreography? Or dancing with a partner with whom you feel no chemistry? Click here to read more from Misty, Marcelo and James.
By Tamara Johnson
