Some Early #MondayMotivation with ABT's Skylar Brandt
We know, we know—Monday’s the last thing you want to think about on Sunday night. But American Ballet Theatre‘s Skylar Brandt is giving us some serious inspiration this evening, and getting us amped for the week ahead. Brandt recently spoke with The Warm Up, which is the official blog of ClassPass, about everything from her dance inspirations to the many misconceptions surrounding ballerinas and ballet. We love when ballet dancers lift the curtain back into their worlds—it’s fascinating to know what makes them tick as artists, and the journeys they’ve experienced to get where they are. Check out our highlights from the interview below, and make sure to catch the full interview here.
CP
: What do you think is a common misconception about ballet dancers?
SB
: A common misconception about ballet dancers is that we don’t eat. This is entirely untrue! Just as Olympic athletes eat enormous amounts of food in order to fuel their performances, ballet dancers do the same! We work 12 hours a day on average during performance seasons, so we are always needing to replenish and refuel our bodies.
CP
: What has been your favorite performance? Why?
SB
: One of my favorite performances was dancing my first Principal role at ABT. I was 20 years old, dancing opposite an incredibly seasoned principal dancer I had grown up admiring. Sharing the stage with her in this prominent part was monumental for my career and gave me a taste of what it is like to lead a show.
CP
: Other than dancing, what are some of your favorite ways to stay active?
SB
: I take Pilates as a way to cross train and further strengthen my body. Another pleasure of mine is taking hip-hop classes! My sisters grew up doing hip-hop and I’ve always enjoyed both watching and taking class with them. One of my sisters actually became a Knicks City Dancer and I think it’s so cool and fun to take open class with a real professional, with whom I am so close. My dad has also taken up hip-hop recently, so I enjoy crashing his classes, too.
