Into The Life Of American Ballet Theatre’s Principal Ballerina Isabella Boylston

Born in Sun Valley, Idaho, Isabella Boylston began dancing at the age of three. Throughout Boylston’s early childhood, she participated in ballet classes among many other activities including skiing and gymnastics. In 1994 she began training at The Boulder Ballet.

Boylston joined the American Ballet Theater Studio Company in 2005, the main company as an apprentice in May 2006 and the corps de ballet in March 2007. During her time as a member of the corps de ballet, she had principal roles choreographed for her in Benjamin Millepied’s Capriccio and From Here on Out.

In 2009, Boylston was awarded the Princess Grace Award and subsequently nominated for the 2010 Prix Benois de la Danse. She was promoted to Soloist in 2011, and was the recipient of the Clive Barnes Award that same year. In 2012, she debuted as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House. Other mentionable roles include the title roles in Giselle and Firebird, and Kitri in Don Quixote. She was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2014.

As a dancer, Boylston is known for her beautiful lines, powerful jump, expansive range, and her musicality, thus more diverse roles are not only a welcome challenge but also a delight for choreographers. Boylston’s passion and curiosity for the arts has even led her to play costume designer; she created costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Three Movements.

Lets get to know some health & fitness secrets from the Principal Ballerina Isabella Boylston as she catches up with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have been dancing since you were three years old, and won your first gold medal at the 2001 Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. In 2005, you joined the ABT Studio Company and since then there has been no looking back. Walk us through your incredible journey as a ballet dancer.

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

I grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho, a small ski town. No one in my family is a dancer, but my mom signed me up for some ballet classes at the local rec center, just for fun. My dad was a professional drummer, and he played a lot of country, bluegrass and jazz, and I think that this introduction to music was one of the first things that drew me to dancing. I stuck with it, and eventually became more serious about it. I would check out VHS tapes from the library of ballets like Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

In middle school I found myself commuting for 2 hours every day on a public bus to get the best training available in the area, and that eventually became unsustainable, so my parents allowed me to go to a boarding school for ballet in Florida. This was a difficult time for me, because I dealt with constant injuries and struggled with confidence, but I learned so much from the school’s excellent teachers, and made the most amazing friends.

Before my senior year in high school, I was scouted by the director of ABT’s junior company and offered a contract, so I moved to New York at 17 to join American Ballet Theatre. I lived in a two bedroom apartment in the east village with 5 other girls, and we had the best time. I was over the moon excited to start dancing with the company of my dreams and immediately fell in love with New York City.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Introduce us to a typical day in your life.

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

I usually wake up around 8:30 or 9am and grab coffee and breakfast, usually eggs if I have time. Then I go to class. Class is a daily warm up where we work on our technique and get our minds and bodies in tune for the day, almost like a daily meditation. If I don’t have a show that night, I usually rehearse from 12-7 hopefully, with a break or two in between. If I’m performing, I usually rehearse a little after class, then take a nap, wake up and eat a meal, and then go warm up and get ready for the show. After the show I usually go out to dinner with friends or family. Then I usually fall asleep around 12 or 1am.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

Ballet class and rehearsal are the core of what keeps me in shape. But recently I’ve started working with a dancer at ABT who is now a personal trainer. With him I mainly focus on strengthening my weak areas, like knees and ankles. Also, because everything in ballet is turned out, it’s helpful for me to do work in parallel to balance out my muscle groups.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit? Also, tell us about your diet prior to a performance.

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

People are usually surprised to discover how much dancers actually eat! The notion that ballerinas are eating disorder ridden is really outdated. I don’t have a special diet and eat almost everything. My favorite food is pasta, and I eat it almost every day, and before every show, usually about 3-4 hours before the show so I have time to digest. I also eat a lot of fish, chicken, and veggies. I also love ramen, probably because it reminds me of pasta! The only thing I don’t eat much of is sugar. I don’t really crave it, and I find that it dehydrates my muscles. I’d rather eat French fries with mayonnaise for a treat.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your skincare and haircare routine.

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

Thank you!! My skin has gotten a lot more dewy since I started using Jordan Samuels skin care line. He used to be a dancer and his face wash is super gentle and natural and perfect for taking off makeup, even heavy stage makeup.

After applying Jordan Samuels serum, I use Trilogy’s moisturizer with honey at night because it’s extra heavy but not greasy. On rehearsal days, I usually put on some makeup because we are in front of the mirror all day with fluorescent light. I mix a little Makeup Forever HD foundation with my tinted MD solar SPF and put it around my T zone or any red areas.

I also love YSL Touche Eclat. I love my rose lipstick from Bobbi Brown for every day. My hair is colored (I’m a fake blonde!) so I try not to wash it every day. I use Giovanni shampoo from Whole Foods and on tour I’ll get Pantene because it takes out all the hairspray really well.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What treatments or physical aids do you take to cope up with minor injuries?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

I sometimes use KT tape for my knee injuries. If my ankles are sprained, I dunk them in an ice bucket at night which really helps and I always try to wear compression socks on flights. I also take alleve to reduce inflammation in a pinch. Generally I try to avoid painkillers. I also find that many injuries can be managed and prevented by adding additional strengthening exercises to my routine. A lot of injuries are caused by not working symmetrically.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

In 2012, you debuted as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House and were promoted to Principal Dancer in 2014, becoming American Ballet Theatre’s Youngest Principal Dancer. How overwhelming was that, to see all your hardwork finally pay-off?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

It had always been my dream to be named principal dancer, but it sometimes seemed like an unattainable one. It was truly such a happy moment. I still feel thankful every single day that I made it here. Anything that’s really worth having in life takes a lot of hard work. Now that I’m a principal, I have new goals that I’m trying to work towards, like directing my own shows.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Tell us about your current Top 5 Fashion Must-Haves.

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

1. My Mark Cross box shaped handbag that was my birthday gift from my husband!

2. Fleur Du Mal lingerie

3. My rose gold Nike zoom sneakers

4. Dorateymur boots

5. A pink beret that I bought at a vintage store in Budapest while I was shooting the movie Red Sparrow.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What are your Top 5 Favorite Ballet Moves?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

• Plies- great for toning your legs and butt and you need them for just about any ballet step
• Arabesque- one of the most iconic ballet steps, Google it!
• Pas de chat- a jump that means step of the cat in French
• Chainees- a sequence of fast turns
• Port de bras- a nice stretch for your upper body

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

With an audience of over 173k followers on your Instagram account @isabellaboylston you’re a social media sensation and an internet leading star. How does it feel that you are able to influence the healthy lifestyle and inspire so many individuals?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

Instagram has been an amazing way for me to connect with my fans, especially young dancers. It’s hard to reply to everyone, but I truly love reading all the awesome comments, especially after shows. I hope I can inspire girls to be confident and individual and to make art and follow their dreams.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding ballet dancers, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of ballet?

Ms. Isabella Boylston:

I would say always work your hardest, but don’t sweat the small stuff. Accept that you can never please everyone. Be kind and always keep a sense of humor!

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