Kistler Interview

[ballerina1023]

I thought that this interview of Darci Kistler was interesting (conducted recently in St. Petersburg).

What does everyone else think?

New York City Ballet- News Room

[Alexandra]

I'm always glad to see a dancer interviewed, but I have to say in this one, there wasn't anything I hadn't read before. There would be a lot of people, though, who'd never had the opportunity to read much about Kistler, though. (Ari posted this on Links on Friday, by the way. Y'all should check that forum -- lots of good stuff there every day!)

What did you find particularly interesting, ballerina1023?

[TutuMaker]

I thought the first part of the article was contradictory; first the author states that no one who knew Ms. Kistler would ever think she would become a professional dancer, and then further down in the article Ms. Kistler states that she knew when she was 8 that dancing was very important to her. Aside from that one criticism, I thought the article was good. It showed what a true professional Ms. Kistler is! She has only good things to say about everyone. I think that was the most important thing I got out of the interview.

[Alexandra]

I thought it was interesting that she said she got her first toe shoes at eight -- maybe that's why she had such a bad, and early, foot injury!

[Farrell Fan]

I'm glad you mentioned that foot injury, Alexandra. I'm sure Darci got sick of talking about it long ago, and they might never have heard of it in St. Petersburg, but as far as I'm concerned, it affected her entire career. She developed into a very different dancer from the one she might have been.

[kfw]

I can understand how a dancer would love dancing to all sorts of music, but I still find it strange that Kistler claims not to have favorite ballets. Perhaps she's just being diplomatic. I'd never expect a dancer who loves everything, or loves it all equally, to stand out herself. It sounds like she has no taste, and yet she obviously does.

[Alexandra]

I'd bet you're right, kfw -- one would think a dancer MUST have favorite ballets, but I can also understand why one might not want to say what they are publicly. It could color how people view you. "Well, she's trying in THAT ballet, because she likes it" -- or it might spawn reverse assumptions; any ballet not named is "hated."

I remember reading a comment about Fonteyn, how exasperatingly polite she was: "She wouldn't say her favorite color was pink for fear of offending mauve."

Farrell Fan, it was a very serious foot injury - how long was she out? Five years? Seven? It's a credit to her determination and force of character that she made it back, but an injury like that would have to change one's career.

Ballet Moms who are reading this -- don't let your daughters put on pointe shoes too early!!!! I'm sure there are lots of topics on this in the YD and Moms forums

[ballerina1023]

Sorry Alexandra- I normally visit the links section, but have recently neglected doing so.

What I found most interesting was, again, how she really didn't have "favorite ballets." I also thought her comment about how Peter Martins (her husband) treats her as a dancer was interesting.

Particularly: "Whatever ballet I dance is my favorite, whatever partner I am on stage with is my favourite. But it is kind of my job. It is the whole package. What my husband [Martins] did was absolutely beautiful but I don't want to emphasize my husband."

What exactly is she referring to when she states "What my husband did was absolutely beautiful?" All the ballets he's created? A specific one on her? I guess I just kind of got the vibe that Kistler feels the need to show that she isn't artistically attached to Martins just because he's her husband. I hope that makes sense. I have read that the relationship between Kistler and Martins is an interesting one (both on stage and off).

Regardless, I have seen Kistler interviewed on several occasions. Every time she comes off as having great intellect, thoughtfulness, and character.

[Alexandra]

I took the comment, "but I'm not here to emphasize my husband," at face value; i.e., she wasn't being asked about him, but about Balanchine, and she did not want to be pushy But that's obviously just a guess.

I've read a lot of dancers say that their favorite ballet is the one they're working on at the moment, and I think that's probably true, at least in one sense. You may be fascinated by a current role that isn't as fulfilling as an earlier role, or that you know you're never going to be known for, but it's NOW and you have to live and dance in the present.

[vagansmom]

Well, I reacted to that interview a little negatively. Maybe it was the result of the general foul mood :shrug: I was in when I began to read it. I'm wondering if anyone else read it the same way. All I could think about were her injuries and how she's never been able to have the rich ballet career of a contemporary like, say, Kyra Nichols or, more currently, Wendy Whelan.

I think Kistler's injuries (she's also had back surgery, right?) has affected everything concerning her career as has her marriage to Peter Martins. Don't get me wrong: I adore her dancing and believe she's one of the rare talents who started out with the complete ballerina package. But I don't think she's had a brilliant career. Injury ruined that chance; marriage to Martins has kept more possibilities alive for her than, perhaps, they really should be.

I also feel that, in her position, she simply HAD to be diplomatic and not publicly choose a favorite ballet or choreographer. No matter what answer she could give, the result would likely be bad press or at least endless discussion and probably on these boards. Headline: "Martins' wife prefers Balanchine rep" or "Martins' wife pans Mr. B" etc. No matter what she'd say, it could dog her. I'd avoid answering that question too.

[Alexandra]

I can't think of an interview I've read, since she came back from that long, long break because of the injured foot, where Kistler does talk about her injuries and how they've affected her. And perhaps that's very telling about her personality and how she views her career. I wouldn't expect her to discuss the political aspects of her career and marriage, though, especially in an interview in a foreign capital.

[vagansmom]

Oh, I agree: it wouldn't be possible for her to discuss political aspects of her career and marriage even here in the States and there's the rub. It makes any interview with her leave too much unsaid and that's probably why I felt so dissatisfied with it even while respecting her needs. She has to hold everything close - I'm not criticizing her for it at all.

[dirac]

It depends on what you expect from an interview. This particular one is a standard issue visiting-ballerina-on-tour piece, although there were some interesting things (and thanks to ballerina1023 for posting it). Expectations for personal revelations should not be high.

I remember that she did discuss the effects her tribulations had had in a general way for a Dance magazine cover story a few years ago. Obviously she's not going to say anything like, "Yes, my career has been irretrievably blighted by injury." (Balanchine didn't like his dancers talking about injuries to the press, and I'm sure she hasn't forgotten that, either.) It's a pretty personal thing, after all.

[Alexandra]

In Barbara Newman's "Striking a Balance," Tanaquil gives no hint that her career was shortened by a devastating illness. She talks about "when I stopped dancing" as though it had been her choice.