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
awaken learning science spark
I want to go into science class and awaken that spark that makes learning possible.
arts education general good great nations remembered
We say arts education is good for general education, but that's not the point. The arts are what great nations are remembered for. They are a mirror.
ballet chinese class jonathan looked morning
When I was about 12, I was studying Chinese and ballet with my brother, and one morning Jonathan said to me, 'I don't think I'm going to go to ballet class anymore,' and I looked at him and said, 'You know, I don't think I'm going to go to Chinese class anymore.'
anywhere presented seen terms ways works
I strive to create new opportunities in terms of partnerships and new works being presented and things you haven't seen anywhere else. Also to help you see old things in ways you haven't seen them before.
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.
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.
stuck tend whatever
It's all about progression, not getting stuck and about having aspirations, which can lead you to do more and not just be satisfied. I was always that way about my dancing, and that's how I am about whatever it is I tend to pursue.
dropped ended hobbies left until
Dancing was one of the hobbies my brother and I had when we were kids, and dance ended up being the one that stuck. I dropped everything else until that was what was left in the end.
It's a false proposition that we have to take the arts away to fund something else.
life spent traveled york
I traveled so much to dance that I feel a part of many places, but New York is where I spent most of my life and where my career has been - it's the place where I exist.
becomes people
Where a city is only focused on one aspect, it becomes a city without a soul, not a city people want to live in.
That's how you live. You participate. You take risks.