Christopher Wheeldon: Dancing with the Stars | Big Think | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

A professional dancer reflects on their career, including performing with renowned ballet companies and working with acclaimed choreographers.

Key Insights

• 💃 The speaker had the privilege of dancing with prestigious ballet companies, including the New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet.
• 💦 Working with choreographer J Robbins provided the speaker with exciting opportunities, including having a ballet created on them and participating in a revival of Westside Story.
• 🫡 Moving to New York allowed the speaker to work with choreographer Jerome Robbins, who was highly respected in the dance community.
• 🎭 The speaker's experience performing in Fancy Free resonated with the ongoing Fleet Week in New York.
• 🥰 Evaluating their own choreographed works is a challenge for the speaker, as they both love and hate aspects of each piece.
• 🔇 The speaker acknowledges the tendency for criticism to increase as they become more well-known, but they now prioritize their own artistic vision.
• 💁 Forming their own company has exposed the speaker to even more criticism, but they have learned to navigate and prioritize their artistic growth.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What are some of the highlights of the speaker's career as a dancer?

The speaker mentions dancing with the New York City Ballet and Royal Ballet, working with choreographer J Robbins, and performing in a revival of Westside Story and Fancy Free.

Q: Why did the speaker decide to move to New York?

The speaker was enticed to move to New York to work with choreographer Jerome Robbins, who was considered the last great choreographer of his generation.

Q: How does the speaker feel about their own choreographed works?

The speaker admits to having mixed feelings about their own choreographed works, stating that while some may be more successful than others, it is challenging to evaluate them objectively.

Q: How does the speaker handle criticism of their work?

The speaker mentions that they used to value criticism more when they were younger and supported, but now they give it less importance, especially since forming their own company.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker highlights their experience dancing with the New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet, as well as working with choreographer J Robbins.

• They discuss the excitement of performing a suite of dances from the movie and stage show of Westside Story and the revival of Fancy Free.

• The speaker explains their decision to move to New York to work with choreographer Jerome Robbins and the challenges of creating new works.