The Dirt: Dusty Button

February 28, 2011

Sure, Dusty Button looks like your typical pretty ballerina: She’s got a lovely face with big doe eyes, and she has a cute name to match. But when the South Carolina native slips into her pointe shoes and hits the stage, she proves she’s one to watch. Dusty has long, lean legs, sky-high extensions and a lithe yet super-strong upper body. Her pirouettes are solid, her jetés high. She’s a captivating, engaging performer.

Currently a member of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dusty grew up attending both ballet and jazz competitions. She trained at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, and though she was offered a position in the ABT studio company (now called ABT II), she opted to go to London to train at the Royal Ballet School instead. She joined BRB in 2008. Read on for Dusty’s Dirt!  —Alison Feller

Performer you would drop everything to see:
Sylvie Guille

If you could work with any performer, past or present, who would it be?
Gene Kelly

Most-played song on your iPod:
“Quiet” by Natalie Weiss

Must-see TV show:
I’m totally into “Gilmore Girls”—I have all the box sets.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?
Cleaning! I love it.

If you weren’t a dancer, what would you be?
A writer

Who would play you in a movie?
Kate Hudson

What’s the strangest thing in your dance bag?
A golf ball

In 2006, Dusty won the bronze medal at the Youth America Grand Prix. This year’s YAGP finals begin on March 17 in NYC.