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
That's how you live. You participate. You take risks.
future limiting possibilities
There are a lot of possibilities I'm looking at for the future, but I'm very insistent on not limiting myself.
fulfilling leads mission work
Fulfilling your mission is one thing; vision is another, and having a commitment to something leads you to do better work.
looking options yield
I am always looking for options that yield something unexpected.
advancing interested relationships society valuable
I have long been interested in exploring and advancing the valuable relationships between the arts and society.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
ballet became career exposed genius gone last living national realized time
The last time I had to make a career decision, I was 17. I could have gone to Ballet Theatre or National Ballet of Canada. There were options. But as I became exposed to the Robbins repertoire, I realized that there was a living genius in the house.