Alexandra Ansanelli: a ballet mega-star introduces the next one

Interview, April, 2002 by Jock Soto

At 21 Alexandra Ansanelli is already astonishing audiences. She joined New York City Ballet at 16, was promoted to soloist at 17, and today is the dancer to watch.

Ansanelli's dramatic repertoire already includes roles ranging from the novice in Jerome Robbins' The Cage to the glittering pyrotechnics of George Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. As a 20-year veteran of the company, I find it thrilling to watch Alexandra dance--she is nothing short of an exquisite flower bursting into bloom.

JOCK SOTO: Who were your ballerina idols growing up?

ALEXANDRA ANSANELLI: I didn't really have much of a ballet-filled childhood, so I didn't grow up admiring ballerinas. I started ballet at 11.

JS: Wow. So you'd only danced for five years before you got in the company. How did you become drawn to ballet?

AA: It started off with sports. I was a really avid sports player--lacrosse, soccer, waterskiing, tennis.

JS: So that's why you have the strength in the legs and that huge jump. When did you know that ballet was the career for you?

AA: Well, when I was 10, I was accepted on the traveling soccer team.

My mom wanted to make sure that it was what I wanted to do--she said, "Why don't you try a few other things?" and ballet was one of them. It wasn't easy for me physically, but I was just so enraptured by the music.

JS: You've actually got quite a repertoire for somebody so young. How have you prepared for your varied roles?

AA: I just kind of look at the role and see.

JS: Do you find that you compare yourself to other dancers?

AA: I do try to learn from them but it's not in a competitive sense. The advantage of this company is that it is the cream of the crop, and every dancer has wonderful qualities.

JS: So what's coming up for you in the spring?

AA: The new Christopher Wheeldon ballet. He is our choreographer in residence, and I have the pleasure of working with him on it.

JS: Do you have any boyfriends?

AA: No. Not at the moment.

JS: So you're available.

AA: I've been on dates. But yes. At this point I'm interested in meeting people, definitely, because there's so much to see and do in life.

JS: What do you do for fun?

AA: I enjoy traveling. And I enjoy theater and movies and museums. One of my fans [laughs] is the head curator at the Egyptian exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he always gives me tours of the exhibits.

JS: What advice can you give to kids who want to be in your position one day?

AA: You should definitely have a goal because there are points in your career that are extremely difficult and you can't lose sight of what you initially wanted. There are moments that will be difficult, like my injury, which I had for two years.

JS: Yeah, that was a long time.

AA: And they didn't know what it was. Every month for a year and a half they would try and find the answer. It was extremely disillusioning.

JS: Well, you're back now.

AA: Yes, thank gosh.

JS: You're dancing beautifully. We're looking forward to seeing you dance this spring.

Jock Soto is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet.