When Christina Clark noticed her first Nutcracker efficiency at age 5, she didn’t instantly aspire to the roles of Sugarplum Fairy or Dewdrop—as a substitute, she was fixated on the handfuls of youngsters within the solid. “I used to be decided to grow to be a type of children onstage,” she remembers. “Performing was the one objective.” Clark, a New York Metropolis native, was accepted into the College of American Ballet at age 7, turned an apprentice with New York Metropolis Ballet in 2016, and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2017.

Together with her elongated limbs and polished port de bras, Clark is a remarkably self-possessed dancer who makes use of her 5′ 10 1/2″ body to completely inhabit each choreographic second and musical word. She debuted in a slew of roles in 2023, together with the Tall Lady in George Balanchine’s “Rubies” and the lead lady in Haieff Divertimento, which hadn’t been carried out by NYCB since 1994. As extra alternatives proceed to return her means, Clark is set to squeeze as a lot as attainable out of every expertise: “My overarching objective is at all times to proceed rising—in my approach, my artistry, and my strategy to new roles.”

Embracing the Unfamiliar
“I really like exploring totally different motion types, even when they’re not my forte. After I was rehearsing Justin Peck’s sneaker ballet The Instances Are Racing, I needed to sort out questions like ‘How does my weight have to be distributed in another way in a sneaker versus a pointe shoe?’ or ‘How can I syncopate the steps and accent sure moments that reveal totally different facets of the music?’ ”

Utilizing Creativeness as a Device
“As an English main at Columbia College, I really like storytelling. When getting ready for a job, I think about a personality or story to tell my motion. Even for one thing plotless like Haieff Divertimento or ‘Rubies,’ there’s a sure taste to every half. It’s useful to consider steps when it comes to analogies and pictures, starting from shifting my arms by way of water to embodying a strand of seaweed within the ocean.”

A Recurring Pinch-Me Second
“Dancing Balanchine’s Serenade at all times appears like a career-reaffirming expertise. I’ve carried out it for a lot of seasons, and each time, it hits me that I’m dwelling within the tableau I dreamed of for thus lengthy. It’s such a community-based ballet, and one in all my favourite issues about this profession is connecting with the dancers round me—they’re my greatest associates and biggest sources of inspiration. To bounce as a part of a gaggle, particularly in a ballet containing a lot that means and pleasure, will at all times be a spotlight.”