Damian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel is a retired Principal Dancer, formerly with the New York City Ballet where he performed from 1985 until 2008. In addition to his work at NYCB, he frequently performed internationally as a guest star and visiting artist with numerous internationally recognized companies including the Kirov Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, until his retirement from the stage in 2008...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDancer
CountryUnited States of America
whether
As a dancer running around the world, I always questioned whether that's what I wanted to do.
geared highly life
My whole life was geared toward being a highly educated person.
attempt
I haven't fallen that much, but when I have, it's usually in the attempt to do something worthwhile. As for recovery, you just have to get up!
exit focused good high intended leave timing tough tricky
The retirement timing is always a tricky thing for a dancer. I think it's different for everyone. How you say goodbye to the thing you have really focused on that much is a tough one. I've always intended to leave in good shape, to exit on a high note.
frequently miss wish
I frequently go to the ballet, but I don't miss it in the sense that I wish I were still dancing.
concerns dancing everyday miss music perhaps somebody
If I see somebody dancing really well, it can make me want to dance. Or it could be the music. But perhaps the thing I miss the most is that when you're dancing, everyday concerns vanish. It's a unique world.
areas certainly consulting directly
I'm going to do some consulting for nonprofits and arts agencies. These are areas I'm interested in that didn't come directly out of Harvard, but certainly I started looking at things in a different manner.
sure teenager
I last went to a gym when I was a teenager to make sure I could lift ballerinas.
along artists create education everybody expression fail full giving great imagination learns schools skills students useful
In schools giving students a full education, not to create great artists but about the right to have full expression and imagination and creativity, along with an acknowledgement that everybody learns differently. You try and you fail and you try again. All those skills are useful in the workplace, too.
ability discovered guess happen introduced lucky natural suited time
I guess I was phenomenally lucky that I was introduced to dancing because I'm suited to it. It would be very weird if you had this natural ability for something and you never discovered it. It must happen all the time.
best feeling letting
I like that feeling of letting loose, of not planning every step. The best performances are the ones that you just let happen.
ford performance unlike venue
The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail is unlike any other performance venue in the world, set with mountains and trees as a backdrop.
chance deliver distinct opposed work
The chance to work on Broadway choreography as opposed to having to deliver Broadway choreography can be two distinct things.
hard interest opposed pushing surprised
The challenge is maintaining your interest over a long career, as opposed to pushing hard with no longevity. I'm surprised that I've been able to dance as long as I have.