Megan Fairchild is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began her dance training at the age of four, studying with Judy Levitre and Kaelynne Oliphant at Dance Concepts in Sandy, Utah, and at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City with Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, and Maureen Laird. While also at the Ballet West Conservatory, Ms. Fairchild was also a Ballet West trainee.
Ms. Fairchild entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2000, studying under the guidance of Suki Schorer, Susan Pilarre, and Kay Mazzo.
In November 2001, Ms. Fairchild became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet, and in October 2002 she joined the New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. Ms. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of soloist in February 2004, and in January 2005, she was promoted to principal dancer.
Ms. Fairchild’s expansive repertoire includes principal roles in full-length ballets and contemporary works. Principal roles include the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Pierrette in Balanchine’s Harlequinade, the Second Act Divertissement in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swanhilda in the George Balanchine/Alexandra Danilova production of Coppelia, Aurora and Princess Florine in Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty, and Florence in The Blue Necklace in Susan Stroman’s Double Feature.
Ms. Fairchild has also danced the roles of Calliope in Balanchine’s Apollo, and Lise in Martins’ The Magic Flute. Ms.Fairchild has also danced principal roles in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Ballo della Regina, Chaconne, Danses Concertantes, Divertimento from Le Baiser de la Fee, Divertimento No. 15, Donizetti Variations, Duo Concertant, Jewels, Raymonda Variations, Serenade, La Source, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Symphony in C, Tarantella, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations, Union Jack, Valse-Fantasie, Vienna Waltzes, Western Symphony, Peter Martins’ Barber Violin Concerto, A Fool for You, Eight Easy Pieces, Eros Piano, Fearful Symmetries, Octet, Papillons, Sinfonia, Songs of the Auvergne, Zakouski, Alexei Ratmansky’s Russian Seasons, Jerome Robbins’ Andantino, Brandenburg, Dances at a Gathering, The Four Season, The Goldberg Variations, Piano Pieces, and Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse á Grande Vitesse, and Mercurial Manoeuvres.
Ms. Fairchild has also originated featured roles in Eliot Feld’s Intermezzo No. 1, Robert LaFosse’s Land of Nod, Peter Martins’ Bal de Couture, and Naïve and Sentimental Music, Alexei Ratmansky’s Namouna, A Grand Divertissement, Christopher Wheeldon’s Shambards, and Angelin Preljocaj’s Spectral Evidence.
In 2001 Ms. Fairchild was a recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise.In 2011 Ms. Fairchild danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center telecast of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, which was also screened in movie theaters and cinemas around the world.
Ms. Fairchild is currently a Teaching Fellow with the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.
Megan Fairchild Veyette is an exceptionally talented and accomplished ballet dancer. She is recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award at the School of American Ballet. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: Your dance training started at the age of four while studying at Dance Concepts in Sandy, Utah and at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City. You reached your pinnacle of success in ballet dancing when you became the principal dancer with New York City Ballet. Tell us about your professional dance journey from your childhood to reaching ‘New York City Ballet’ ?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: I started out doing tap, jazz and ballet, but after watching the Nutcracker at age 8, and seeing little kids like me getting to dance onstage, I immediately was drawn to mostly ballet. I never put pressure on myself to make it into a big company like NYCB, but I knew from about the age of 12 that I wanted to someday dance professionally. I moved to NY to train at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet, for my junior year of highschool because my options in Utah weren’t going to further my growth anymore. The next year I got picked to be in the company, and I have been there ever since!
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You had exceptional professional success as you became a leading ballet dancer and performed principal roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Pierrette in Balanchine’s Harlequinade, the Second Act Divertissement in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swanhilda in the George Balanchine/Alexandra Danilova production of Coppelia, Aurora and Princess Florine in Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty, and Florence in The Blue Necklace in Susan Stroman’s Double Feature. What factors do you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: I think I have always been relatively good at setting achievable goals. I never had the goal of getting to where I am today. It was the sum of many small little goals that ended me up here. Like achieving something in a ballet class, or making a certain audition. I kind of just always kept my head down, stayed focus, and didn’t get carried away with the big picture.
I also think I have the right personality for ballet, you have to be a bit of a perfectionist, and also able to push through pain at times, as well as have a thick skin. It is a tough business. It can feel like you work so hard for something, and at times it still feels like it is not enough. But as long as I enjoy the everyday process, it is worth it to me. And I truly do. I love all of the work behind the scenes that it takes to get out there onstage in front of 2500 people every night. And then the actual show is just icing on the cake.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: I do Pilates and Gyrotonics at least once a week. I love the way they make my body feel. Both feel very cleansing to me. As a dancer sometimes you keep working on one step over and over again, and both Pilates and Gyro even my body back out. If I am not performing for a while, I usually swim laps. But sometimes that makes my upper body feel too pumped. Kickboard is great for dancer legs though.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: No. My mom is a dietitian and she always taught me “everything in moderation.” If I didn’t allow myself to eat something, I would probably just end up binging on it. So I have no diet rules. I try to count calories though, because I have a big appetite, and it helps me know when to say when. I eat lots of small meals throughout the day. First thing I do when I wake up is make some eggs. I can’t start my day without some eggs. I like to eat lots of vegetables, chicken, tofu, and salmon. I also have an incredible sweet tooth, and it helps to give into it on a regular basis. I treat myself everyday.
Videos
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: Well on Broadway I get to wear a luscious, full wig every night. So that is not my real hair. I actually have very fine hair, and don’t really love it. But that is the beauty of stage, you get to add. Even when I am at the ballet, I wear a fake piece in my bun to make it the proper proportion. But I do take lots of vitamins everyday, mostly for my muscles and bones because my body is so important to me as a dancer. Everyday I take: a multivitamin, fish oil, homeopathic anti-inflammatory, something for joint health, another one for ligaments and tendons, and calcium. I think somewhere in there, is stuff that is also good for skin and hair.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding professional ballet dancing girls who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to ladder of success in the field professional ballet dancing?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: Don’t compare yourself to others. I have wasted a lot of time doing that, especially when I was younger. Probably ages 14-25. In the end, you realize that your uniqueness, and the things that make you different, are the things that make you stand out, and the things people will like about you. We all have something special to offer. And there is nothing more appealing than someone who has confidence. So get over it! (That’s me talking to my younger self!)
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your memorable experience on being featured in 2011 in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center telecast of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, which was also screened in movie theaters and cinemas around the world ?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: It was one of the scariest performances of my life! I just wanted to not fall on TV, especially in the age of DVR! Fortunately I didn’t, and the show actually went really well. It also gave me nerves of steel for just regular performances. Performing for 2500 every night was not so bad. And even though I haven’t even watched them yet, I have wonderfully filmed DVDs to show my kids someday. I felt a lot of pressure because Sugar Plum is an iconic role that even non-ballet goers would know about.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your inspiration and motivation in choosing ballet dancing as your profession ?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: The ballet dancers that were in Ballet West when I was growing up were the people I most looked up to. They were the local company at home in Salt Lake City, UT, and I got to know them well as I was a kid in their Nutcracker from ages 9-15. I am still friends with some of them, and lots of them on Facebook. They were always very kind and encouraging to me.
Videos
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uE2ctK1j2YQ
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your endeavor being a Teaching Fellow with the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet ?
Ms. Namita Nayyar: With exceptional hard work you are credited with all your achievements. Do you believe that does the hand of Providence (Supreme Being) played a role in your success?
Ms. Megan Fairchild Veyette: I used to think my success was being in the right place at the right time, as well as the hard work. But now I kind of see it as seizing the opportunities when they come my way. Every time there is a moment for something new or special, I make sure I am ready. And you never know when they might come, so you always want to be on your A-game. I don’t let frustrating things get me down, and then make me waste time not working. It is always “onwards and upwards.” (That is a line in my Broadway show, but it is so true.) You can’t waste time getting upset because you weren’t included in that seasons promotions, or you didn’t get to be a part of that new ballet. If you blink you might miss the next opportunity.
Women Fitness Team thanks Megan Fairchild Veyette for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.
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Videos
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MZNdo94–Ds
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness