New York City Ballet gives its dancers’ bodies exemplary care. The dancers themselves, however, don’t necessarily take advantage of it.
The company started its wellness program in 2001 to cut down on injuries. All apprentices and first- and second-year corps members now get personalized cross-training advice in mandatory physical screenings. Apprentices are also required to attend orthopedic screenings. Dancers benefit from company-sponsored sessions with nutritionists, physical therapists, orthopedists, chiropractors and massage therapists, as well as annual lectures on stress management, nutrition and injury prevention.
The results have been impressive: Within two years of the program’s launch, the weeks of disability logged by dancers dropped by 46 percent and the number of major work compensation claims fell by 24 percent. Yet, despite this success, not all dancers use the program. “Even though it’s open to the entire company, more experienced dancers may prefer to stick to their own routines,” says company wellness consultant and Dance Magazine advice columnist Linda Hamilton, who was part of the research team that created the program.
Throughout the ballet world, when dancers have the freedom, they prefer to push toward perfection rather than reduce the chance of injury with a carefully moderated program. No matter how many lectures they’re given, dancers make the final decisions when it comes to their own bodies, and when they are young and feel indestructible, they will do whatever it takes to succeed—the field is too competitive to risk falling behind. “Dancers typically have very high standards for themselves,” Hamilton says. “They overwork, they push in spite of feeling tired or in pain—and then they end up injured for longer.”
The health care community has been trying to combat this problem for more than two decades. The concept of wellness in ballet became formalized in 1990 with the inception of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS). Inspired by the success of sports medicine, an array of physiologists, biomechanics researchers, physical therapists and orthopedists came together to help dancers become stronger, better athletes while decreasing their chances of injury.
Dancers have embraced some of IADMS’ suggestions to improve strength and flexibility: Cross-training through Pilates, Gyrotonic, floor barre and other forms of conditioning has aided a leap in technical capability. But many are still hesitant to heed warnings to get more rest, to sit out as soon as they feel pain, to stop asking a partner to stand on top of their feet to help stretch their arches. They maintain a certain amount of skepticism that anyone from outside their world could truly understand the sacrifices ballet requires. Their teachers had successful careers without worrying about every tendon and ligament, so why should they?
It’s with respect to this point that wellness seems to have reached a hurdle. Most dancers now know enough to understand the physical implications of what they’re doing, but they’re unwilling to make training modifications that they fear would hold them back from professional success. Do teachers need to do more to convince students? Do dance medicine practitioners need to try harder to translate the principles into terms dancers can embrace? Or does ballet culture, with its race for higher développés and ever more impressive jumps, demand unhealthy entry requirements for a career?
“It’s hard for dancers to appreciate dance medicine until they experience the benefits,” says Tom Welsh, PhD, a former president of IADMS who conducts research on healthy approaches to training dancers. He notes that sports medicine (which is about 25 years older than dance medicine) also met with suspicion at first. “Whenever science first starts in a field, scientists don’t know how to measure what they’re studying and they don’t know what the priorities are, so what they do is clumsy. There’s a learning curve to figuring out what needs to be done and how to do it in a convincing, relevant way.”
Take turnout, for example. “You hear people say, ‘Don’t force your turnout.’ That’s nonsense,” says Martin Fredmann, artistic director of the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC. “If you walk into a studio without turnout, you’re not going to be a ballet dancer.” However, anyone who’s studied anatomy knows that 180-degree rotation is a physically unrealistic goal, no matter how much a dancer pulls up or initiates from the hips. Straining to achieve perfect turnout puts dangerous pressure on lower body ligaments, creates abnormal alignment and generally increases the risk of injury. Yet when it comes down to having either healthy joints or a career, the choice, to many, is obvious: Ambitious dancers will only listen to medical advice as long as it doesn’t get in the way of nabbing that contract or role.
“Ballet dancers are high-level athletes. People have to remember, no pain, no gain,” says Valentina Kozlova, a former Bolshoi and NYCB dancer who runs a private studio in New York City. “You can follow certain rules, but it’s impossible to completely prevent injuries.”
Marcia Dale Weary, founder of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, points out that other countries sidestep this problem by mainly training students born with natural ballet bodies, while the more democratic U.S. schools take anyone who wants to dance, no matter how harsh the technique will be on their body. “You have to work carefully with those dancers,” she says. “But in the end, you must insist they turn out.”
Welsh believes there simply isn’t enough anatomical education built into dance training to get the messages across in a convincing way. “Most athletes today actually study sports science,” he says. “That way they understand much better how and why they do certain exercises, instead of having to be persuaded. They’re more likely to know when to ask for help. There are some dance science programs available now, but only in university settings.”
To convince young dancers that holding back now will help them perform longer over time will require a radical shift in philosophy within the ballet field. “Dancers are usually trained to be stoic, and they’re often afraid that if they hold back, they might be seen as lazy,” says Hamilton. “They think work will solve everything.”
Dancers seem to appreciate dance medicine’s benefits most when their focus shifts from launching their careers to extending them; if they’ve been gambling with their bodies, dancers usually start to rethink their approach when they begin getting injured. Luckily, more of today’s teachers had doctors save their knees, their ankles, their hips when they were dancing, and they can appreciate wellness’s benefits on a personal level. “Many younger teachers now have that background, and it means they’ll be more inclined to include it in how they train students,” says Welsh. This generation may pass on its experience to the next; the messages will be given from former dancers to future dancers, hopefully in a persuasive way that takes into account both the need for excellence and the power of healthy training to lengthen careers. “If dancers approach wellness in an intelligent way,” says Hamilton, “it’s not going to stop them from excelling; it’s going to help them.”
Jennifer Stahl is Pointe’s senior editor.
Latest Posts
Jan 07, 2021
Vadim Shultz, Courtesy Mariinsky Ballet
Catching Up With Maria Khoreva: The Rising Mariinsky Star on Her TV Competition Win and New Book
The coronavirus pandemic has not slowed down the Mariinsky Ballet's Maria Khoreva. Although Russia's Mariinsky Theater was closed in 2020 from March until August, the 20-year-old first soloist used the time in quarantine to her advantage. She wrote a newly published book titled Teach Me Ballet, and won Best Female Dancer on Russia's hit TV show "Grand Ballet," a competition which brings young ballet dancers from all parts of the country to the national spotlight. (This season, filmed over the summer, was broadcast on Russia's arts channel from November 4 to December 19. All seven episodes are now available on YouTube.)
Pointe spoke with Khoreva to find out more about her experience on the show, her fitness regime during quarantine and her new book.
<p><strong>What was your reaction when you found out that you would be participating in "Grand Ballet"?</strong></p><p>Given the situation with the pandemic, I had thought the competition would be canceled. But to my pleasant surprise, we started rehearsals at the end of May, and the filming began in July at a film studio in Moscow. For me, it was a great honor to represent the Mariinsky Theater, and I am very grateful to my director, Yuri Fateev, for believing in me and entrusting me to represent my theater on this project. After a long hiatus from the stage, I was so happy to be back in the studio and onstage doing what I love.</p><p><strong>Tell us about the rehearsals.</strong></p><p>I was initially supposed to perform with Nikita Korneyev, but after he was injured, Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Vladimir Shklyarov stepped in and partnered me. It was challenging to get back onstage after the quarantine, but I found the whole rehearsal process to be incredibly inspiring. It was a miracle to prepare six different programs in such a short time—and I am still amazed at this. During the lockdown, we had missed the stage very much, so the eagerness to perform provided us with strength, enthusiasm and motivation.</p>
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<p><strong>What was it like performing on the show?</strong></p><p>"Grand Ballet" is not an ordinary ballet competition. For instance, there would be times during the performances when a cameraman would run out onto the stage to take a close-up shot and often this would happen at the most crucial moment of our performance. The most important thing for us was to dance as beautifully as we could, and we got used to performing in the film studio versus on the stage in the theater.</p><p><strong>The four judges, who are professional ballet artists, gave your corrections in front of millions of TV viewers. How did you feel about it?</strong></p><p>I really love and appreciate criticism—this is what allows me to grow. I think that when you are not corrected, you are at a standstill. We listen to criticism every day from our teachers in the studio, so I am very grateful to the jury for their comments and advice. And I think their corrections were also of interest to the TV audience: Learning about intricacies and nuances of a ballet performance was a kind of master class for them, too.</p>
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<p><strong>In the first episode, which was called "Calling Card," you performed a pas de deux from <em>The Sleeping Beauty</em>. Why did you choose this piece?</strong></p><p>I danced my premiere of Aurora at the Mariinsky in February, right before the pandemic. And we all agreed unanimously, including our wonderful coach Elvira Tarasova and the show's organizers, that this would be the best piece for my "Calling Card" episode.</p><p><strong>For the sixth round, you danced Christopher Wheeldon's <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXwGWw95xlY&list=PL66DIGaegedpYCvbwRooepACWyfnvn-m-&index=3">After the Rain</a></em>. How did you prepare?</strong></p><p>I have always dreamed of working with Christopher Wheeldon. To prepare, we first learned all the choreography with his assistant, and then Christopher himself joined rehearsals via Zoom from his apartment in New York City. We could feel his energy even through a computer screen! It certainly was an unforgettable experience. He gave us a lot of interpretive freedom, encouraging us to tell our own story and show our own personality.</p>
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Khoreva (third from left) with her fellow "Grand Ballet" contestants and jury members
Courtesy Mariinsky Ballet
<p><strong>What were your favorite memories about this competition?</strong></p><p>My two favorite moments were the fifth and sixth rounds of the competition. In the<a href="https://youtu.be/gV-kAH5jABQ?t=5417" target="_blank"> fifth round</a>, we premiered a new ballet, created specifically for this project by Alexander Sergeev, our colleague and soloist at the Mariinsky Theater. It is a vigorous work, with cheerful music and virtuosic choreography. Then in the sixth round, we danced <em>After the Rain</em>, which is slow and atmospheric. It was such a joy to prepare and perform such amazing and contrasting contemporary pieces.</p><p><strong>Last spring and summer, how did you spend your time during the quarantine? What did you do to keep in shape and stay motivated?</strong></p><p>I exercised at home and began sharing my fitness exercises on my YouTube channel. My videos really resonated with the viewers: the number of subscribers increased every day. People enjoyed the fitness classes that we could do together online as a community. I found inspiration both in my subscribers and in my friends, with whom I corresponded on Instagram. We all have become very close during this time.</p>
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<p><strong>You also just wrote a book, published in December. What is it about?</strong></p><p>The idea to write a book was born during the quarantine. I was approached by the publisher with a proposal to write a practical guide, in which I would share my fitness exercises and methods of doing them. The book is 400 pages long and called <em>Teach Me Ballet</em>. In it, I share my personal experiences and talk about ballet classes as well as fitness exercises. I think it will be interesting not only for ballet professionals, but for everyone who wants to stay fit—the subtitle of the book is <em>How to Educate Your Body</em>. I also share stories that influenced my path in ballet and talk about various gadgets—what helps me onstage and in class—the things that have now become such a part of my regimen that I can't imagine my life in ballet without them.</p><p><strong>The Mariinsky Ballet's season started up again in the fall. What have been your most memorable performances after the quarantine? How does it feel to perform in a partially filled theater?</strong></p><p>I was fortunate to dance in two works by Alexei Ratmansky: the company premiere of <em>Seven Sonatas</em> and <em>Concerto DSCH</em>. For <em>Seven Sonatas</em>, Alexei worked with us via Zoom on the technique, as well as the details and intricacies of the choreography. Dancing in these two ballets was simply pure happiness. And I must say, when we are onstage now, we do not feel that the theater is only partially filled. The audience always welcomes us with great warmth—and even greater appreciation.</p>
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Jan 14, 2021
Karolina Kuras, Courtesy ROH
The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi Shares Her Go-to Self-Care Ritual and Her Favorite Recipe
Royal Ballet principal Yasmine Naghdi had been gearing up to star as the Sugarplum Fairy in a December livestream performance of The Nutcracker when London went back into heavy COVID-19 restrictions. The performance was canceled, but Naghdi has been taking this current setback, and the challenges the pandemic has brought over the last 10 months, in stride. In addition to keeping up with her training, she's been taking Italian lessons virtually and preparing elaborate meals with her boyfriend ("We're both real foodies," she says). Last fall, Naghdi, who has always loved cooking, travel, design and self-care, decided to share her offstage passions with fans on her new Instagram page, @lifestyle_by_yas.
Naghdi recently talked with us about staying flexible to the UK's lockdown changes and her post-performance wellness routine, plus offered a recipe for her favorite pasta dish.
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Naghdi and Matthew Ball in The Royal Ballet's Nutcracker
Karolina Kuras, Courtesy ROH
<p><strong>How was it preparing for the livestream performance of <em>The Nutcracker</em> last month, only to have it canceled due to new COVID-19 restrictions in London?</strong></p><p>We worked so hard to get ourselves up to peak condition, and, I admit, it's been trickier than usual. Normally, at this point in the season we would have performed multiple ballets and our stamina would be in tip-top form. However, this wasn't the case this year. I managed to perform four times from March until December. When the announcement on December 19 came out introducing harsher restrictions, the company was notified and the livestream had to be canceled. This was very sad news for us all, but everyone's health is the main priority. [The show was replaced with an online performance of Christopher Wheeldon's 2017 production of <a href="https://stream.roh.org.uk/packages/alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland-2017/videos/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-2017?_ga=2.41391211.875849276.1610326384-272174007.1608646171" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</em></a><em>, </em>available to watch until January 21.] </p><p><strong>What was the inspiration for launching your @lifestyle_by_yas Instagram page during the pandemic?</strong></p><p>I had so much time on my hands that my creativity needed an outlet. In the early stages, I shared meals and the cozy, designed corners in my new home on my ballet Instagram page. But I realized I'd better create an entirely different account exclusively geared towards my other passions, like international travel, interior design, collecting unique decorative objects and sourcing vintage couture. The pandemic restricted my moves, so I haven't been able to share as much as I had hoped. I also love all things self-care, so I plan to include more of my skin-care rituals, makeup, etc. I imagine the page to be something like a mood board while sharing recipes, past travels (with hopefully more travels in the future!) and more.</p><p><strong>What will be your go-to travel spot, post-pandemic?</strong></p><p>I hope to be able to travel to a warm country, wherever that may be. Last year my boyfriend and I had various holidays planned, but they all got canceled: Rio de Janeiro in January, Tuscany during Easter and the Greek islands for the summer. I love the proximity of the sea wherever I go on holiday, and I am currently dreaming of island hopping in Indonesia.</p>
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</div></blockquote></div><p><strong></strong><strong>What's your favorite self-care regimen after a performance and to beat the winter blues?</strong></p><p>As soon as I arrive home after a performance, I run a hot bath, adding Epsom salts to aid muscle recovery. I also add Molton Brown Cypress and Sea Fennel bath crystals, as the smell is absolutely wonderful.</p><p>To beat the winter blues, I use The Sanctuary Spa salt scrub, to get rid of dead skin, and a rich, moisturizing hair mask (I love Kerastase Paris Chronologiste mask). Once out of the bath, I use a rubber hydration mask by Dr. Jart+, and then I finish off with Dermalogica antioxidant hydra-mist. After blow-drying my hair, I work some Kerastase oil into the tips of my hair. I'll also do an at-home manicure; currently I'm using Essie's Treat Love & Color polish. It is a light pink that's great as an everyday color, and it's not distracting onstage, either.</p>
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<p><strong>What's your favorite winter comfort food, and do you have a recipe you can share?</strong></p><p>My favorite winter comfort food would be a big plate of pasta or mushroom risotto. My absolute favorite recipe is linguine alle vongole (pasta with clams). I've developed my own take on it after learning from relatives and online recipes. It is beyond delicious, and it does not taste nor smell fishy at all. It's easy to make but does require attention to detail. </p>
Yasmine Naghdi's Linguine Alle Vongole Recipe
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NDkwMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NjgzNTg4NH0.AUfgqIPLzrohWBQfE9RpfIYKPCOih-NQt8CgZVt9ufQ/img.png?width=980" id="b87f5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0879746c011be14495610644b7444976" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="A close photo of white plate with linguine pasta, clams and parsley" />Getty Images
<p>The ingredients are:</p><p>800 g (1.8 lbs) fresh clams, about 200 g (7 oz) per person</p><p>3–5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped</p><p>1–2 handfuls fresh parsley, finely chopped</p><p>1 pepperoncino (red chili pepper) or dried flakes (amount depends on your preference)</p><p>4–5 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil</p><p>320–400 g (11–14 oz) linguine or spaghetti</p><p>1/2 glass dry white wine</p><p>Earlier in the day, soak the clams in cold water and add 2–3 teaspoons of salt (ONLY). Leave the clams in throughout the day, as they will release sand. </p><p>Finely chop the peeled garlic, parsley and chili so you have this ready when it's time to cook. (Remove the seeds from the chili if you want a milder flavor.)</p><p>Wash the clams in cold water and remove any with broken shells. </p><p>Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.</p><p>While the water is heating: In a deep frying pan, add half of the olive oil, chopped parsley, garlic and chili pepper. Throw in the clams and cook, covered, over high heat until they have opened (about 5 minutes). Shake the pan gently every so often to make sure the clams cook through evenly.</p><p>Allow the clams to cool a little, then remove the meat from most of the clamshells, keeping some intact for decoration. Set the meat aside and discard the empty shells.</p><p>Filter the clam liquid from the pan several times. Don't discard it; this liquid is crucial to the flavoring of your pasta!</p>
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<p>Cook the pasta for half the time it says on the box. You don't need salt, as the clams will already be a little salty.</p><p>In the meantime, heat up a wok or deep frying pan with olive oil and the rest of the garlic, chopped parsley and chili.</p><p>Once your pasta is half cooked, don't drain it; instead, transfer it into your frying pan, allowing some pasta water to go with it. Add the clam juice you previously filtered bit by bit, which allows the pasta to continue to cook while absorbing the juice's flavor. Add the white wine, and once the juice has been absorbed and you are 1 minute away from the full cooking time of your pasta, add the clam meat. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.</p><p>Mix everything together well and serve immediately, with another sprinkling of chopped parsley and olive oil.</p>
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Jan 13, 2021
From left: Anthony Crickmay, Courtesy Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives; Courtesy Ballethnic
Lydia Abarca Mitchell, Arthur Mitchell's First Ballerina, Builds On Her Mentor's Legacy in Atlanta
It is the urgency of going in a week or two before opening night that Lydia Abarca Mitchell loves most about coaching. But in her role as Ballethnic Dance Company's rehearsal director, she's not just getting the troupe ready for the stage. Abarca Mitchell—no relation to Arthur Mitchell—was Mitchell's first prima ballerina when he founded Dance Theatre of Harlem with Karel Shook; through her coaching, Abarca Mitchell works to pass her mentor's legacy to the next generation.
"She has the same sensibility" as Arthur Mitchell, says Ballethnic co-artistic director Nena Gilreath. "She's very direct, all about the mission and the excellence, but very caring."
Ballethnic is based in East Point, a suburban city bordering Atlanta. In a metropolitan area with a history of racism and where funding is hard-won, it is crucial for the Black-led ballet company to present polished, professional productions. "Ms. Lydia" provides the "hard last eye" before the curtain opens in front of an audience.
For more than 25 years, coaching at Ballethnic has been a lifeline back to Abarca Mitchell's days with DTH. She had a stellar career, both with the company and beyond, but left the stage at age 30 after an injury sustained performing in Dancin' on Broadway. Her husband's job transferred them to Atlanta, where she transitioned to a full-time job as a medical transcriptionist while raising a family. Now retired from her second career, Abarca Mitchell continues to forward Arthur Mitchell's legacy, not only through coaching but also by building community among DTH alumni and writing her memoirs—a fairy-tale story of a child who came from the Harlem public-housing projects and became a trailblazing Black ballerina.
Abarca Mitchell grew up during the 1950s and '60s, the oldest of seven in a tight-knit family. She always danced, taking cues from Hollywood figures until a fourth-grade teacher saw her talent and encouraged her to seek formal training. The family couldn't afford ballet lessons, but Abarca Mitchell earned a scholarship to attend The Juilliard School's Saturday youth program, and later the Harkness Ballet's professional training program. But for all of those ballet classes, Abarca Mitchell never had the opportunity to see or perform in a ballet production. She didn't understand the purpose behind ballet's tedious class exercises.
When the fast-growing Harkness Ballet moved its scholarship students to the June Taylor Studio on Broadway, Abarca Mitchell remembers hearing live drumming, clapping and laughter coming from the studio across the hall. It was a jazz class taught by Jaime Rogers, who'd played Loco in the West Side Story movie. Abarca Mitchell started sneaking into Rogers' classes.
When Harkness informed her that her scholarship was exclusively for ballet, Abarca Mitchell left the program. She saw no future for herself in the white-dominated ballet world, and focused on academics during her last two years of high school.
At 17, Abarca Mitchell met Arthur Mitchell. He had made history as the first Black principal dancer with New York City Ballet, which he had joined in 1955, and had just begun to shape what would become Dance Theatre of Harlem when he hired Abarca Mitchell in 1968. Within a month, she was back on pointe. Within two months, she was performing in Arthur Mitchell's Tones. "I didn't even know what ballet was until I was onstage," Abarca Mitchell says. "All of a sudden, it was my heart and soul."
Arthur Mitchell made sure his dancers saw NYCB perform, and subsequently brought Balanchine's Agon, Concerto Barocco and other NYCB works into the DTH repertoire. "Physically and emotionally, I felt the connection of jazz in Balanchine's choreography," Abarca Mitchell says. "His neoclassical style was just funky to me. I could totally relate."
For the first time, Abarca Mitchell danced with people who looked like her and shared the same aspirations, she says, with a leader who "saw us through his eyes of love and achievement."
In Abarca Mitchell's 30s, after a performing career that took her from DTH to the film version of The Wiz to Bob Fosse's Dancin' and beyond, her husband's job took their family to Atlanta. She soon connected with Gilreath and Waverly Lucas. The couple, also DTH alumni, were influenced by Arthur Mitchell's model when they founded Ballethnic, seeking to create access for dancers of all backgrounds to develop as classical dancers and perform a repertoire that represents the company's culturally diverse home city. Over time, Abarca Mitchell became a trusted advisor.
Abarca Mitchell goes in at least twice a year to coach Ballethnic's productions—such as Urban Nutcracker, set in Atlanta's historically Black Sweet Auburn neighborhood, and The Leopard Tale, which features the company's signature blend of classical pointe work with polyrhythmic dance forms of the African diaspora. These final rehearsals give Abarca Mitchell a way to fast-track the transfer of her mentor's values.
Lydia Abarca Mitchell works with Ballethnic's Calvin Gentry and Karla Tyson.
Courtesy Ballethnic Dance Company
She recalls that Arthur Mitchell taught his dancers to present themselves at their finest—to enter a room with their heads held high and shoulders back—and to dress, speak and walk with dignity and self-respect. He reminded them that they were pioneers and ambassadors for Blacks in ballet. As the company gained international stature—Abarca Mitchell was the first Black female ballerina to appear on the cover of Dance Magazine, in 1975—he insisted the dancers remain humble and in service to the greater mission. But he was also a taskmaster. "No nonsense, no excuses," Abarca Mitchell says. "There was no slack. If he was rehearsing something that you're not in, you'd better be on the side learning it."
"He didn't throw compliments around at all. You had to really kill yourself to get a smile from him." After a run-through, she says, "you didn't want to be singled out."
Abarca Mitchell takes a slightly different approach, though she doesn't compromise on the values her mentor instilled. When coaching large casts of all ages and different levels for Ballethnic, she has found ways to inspire people without tearing them down. She calls it a "tough love" approach.
"I've got to make them want to do it. I don't want to beat them into doing it," Abarca Mitchell says. "I tell them, 'You're here because you want to be, and because you auditioned and were accepted. Now, show me why I should keep you here.'"
"I tell them, 'I'm here to make sure you'll look good—you know: 'That looks fake. Let's make it look real. Think about what you're doing, so that it's not just a gesture.'"
Arthur Mitchell instilled this level of emotional honesty in his dancers, and it was key to the company's quick success. "We were bringing a thought forward," says Abarca Mitchell. "We were bringing a feeling forward, so that the audience could connect with us."
In addition to her position as rehearsal director for Ballethnic, Abarca Mitchell is today part of 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy, a group of DTH alumni who seek to give voice to people responsible for the company's success in its early years. "It's incredible," she says, "how many people took something from DTH and applied it to their lives."
As Ballethnic prepares to co-host the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and Festival in January 2022, Abarca Mitchell hopes to help strengthen the network of dance companies associated with Ballethnic, such as Memphis' Collage Dance Collective. "The dream is for all of us to collaborate with each other," she says, "so that it becomes more normal to see a Black ballerina, so it's not just a token appearance."
Today's young dancers face different challenges from what Abarca Mitchell faced. She finds that they're more easily distracted, and sometimes act entitled, because they don't know or appreciate how hard earlier Black ballerinas like herself worked to clear a path for them. But what she's passing on will benefit them, whether they choose to pursue dance careers or become doctors, lawyers, professors or something else entirely. "The principles are the same," she says. "Work for what you want, and you will achieve it."