What explains a long, long dance career, as in Kyra Nichols ...

[bart]

Kyra Nichols' retirement at the end of this year after 33 years brought a question to mind: What qualities of dancing per se (technique, training, choice of rep, etc.) -- excluding the obviously important influence of genetics -- explain this kind of exceptionally long, exceptionally high-level career.

To give a context, Helene has posted the following on the Kyra Nichols thread:

Hayden: 1948 to 1973 (25 years)

McBride: 1959 to 1989 (30 years)

Ashley: 1967-1997 (30 years)

Nichols: 1974-2007 (33 years)

Hayden was already 25 and a veteran of ABT when she joined NYCB.

[richard53dog]

Kyra Nichols' retirement at the end of this year after 33 years brought a question to mind: What qualities of dancing per se (technique, training, choice of rep, etc.) -- excluding the obviously important influence of genetics -- explain this kind of exceptionally long, exceptionally high-level career.

Maybe two that I see , not only in the NYCB dancers mentioned, but in other dancers that hava had long careers, are technique and choice of rep. And often the choice of repertory changes (as much as the "powers that be" allow) to adapt to the changing abilities of the dancer as time rolls on. This is not to say though that all dancers that have had unusually long careers have weeded out the roles they found difficult, but certainly many did.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not making this a criticism, I give credit for creative adaptability, particularly if the dancer stills has that burning desire to perform. On the other hand, I greatly dislike performers in general

that are just pushing buttons because they can't envision a life away from the stage.

Richard

[Cliff]

Many dancers retire due to injuries. Did Nichols, Ashley, McBride, and Hayden suffer less injuries than normal?

[carbro]

The effect of injuries is probably not a matter of number, but a matter of which structures are damaged and how fully their strength and/or flexibility can be restored. Also, repeated injury to the same part will likely be much harder to overcome than a new injury to a different part.

Merrill Ashley lost a season or so at the beginning of her career, and then, to the best of my knowledge, remained pretty healthy until the last four or five years. On the other hand, Merrill never took maternity leave.

In terms of number of performances, when did NYCB finally get 22 (it is 22, isn't it?) weeks in New York? Their current three weeks at Saratoga used to be four. The current seven performances a week is a relatively recent reduction from eight. They used to tour more extensively -- at least domestically. So estimating the number of performances of different dancers of different eras can become a very tricky mathematical exercise.

[sandik]

Thinking about the initial question (what explains a long career), there are all kinds of elements that go into longevity in ballet. Body type, training, environment, performance style, professional experience, etc, etc, etc. Some of those elements the dancer can control, some they can work to improve, some they just have to depend on the caprice of the gods. In no particular order:

A hyper-mobile body, while it may yield impressive results in training early on, is also more prone to injury unless the dancer works from the beginning to maintain their strength

Consistent, thoughtful training will help invest a dancer with skills to maintain their own technique even at times that they aren't rehearsing/performing.

A reasonable environment for rehearsal and performance (especially the floor) can extend someone's career by at least a couple of years

Working in a style that is 'natural' to your own body will reinforce what you already do well, and not require you to move in a fashion that puts great strain on your instrument.

There are always exceptions to these ideas -- dancers who have persevered despite injury, environment, style, etc and still have had long and satisfying careers, but in general, these are good indicators. Look at someone with an extended career, and they will have either found a place for themselves that includes most of these elements, or found a way to live without them.