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New York native, Laura Feig trained at the Seiskaya Ballet Academy and later studied with Maggie Black. Laura began her career with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of John McFall, where she spent ten years, becoming a principal dancer with the company. She is currently dancing with Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. She has also performed as a member of The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet X, Chautauqua Ballet, and Ballet NY. Laura has toured the US, Canada, and Japan starring in Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out in the role of Judy. She has danced principal roles in classics including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. She has performed leading roles in works by Julia Adam, George Balanchine, Michael Pink, Ben Stevenson, and Lila York. Ms. Feig has had many roles created for her by choreographers including Christopher Hampson, Edwaard Liang, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, Margo Sappington and Stanton Welch. The following is an excerpt from a long chat LOLAstretch New Media Intern, Stephanie Wolf had with dancer and LOLAliaison Laura Feig. SW: You were with Atlanta Ballet for a large chunk of your career. I remember watching you dance onstage while I was a student at the Centre. Your portrayal of Lucy in Dracula still stands out in my mind. What were some roles that you danced with Atlanta Ballet that were the most significant for you? What choreographers helped to shape your career with the company? LF: In Atlanta, I loved working with John McFall and dancing any and all of his ballets (both classical and contemporary). He lets his dancers have a voice in the studio. Michael Pink also played a large role in my career with Atlanta Ballet. His works such as, Dracula, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Romeo and Juliet helped shape my experience in Atlanta. He gave me the opportunity to dance principle roles and taught me how to act onstage. He was pretty important in my career with the company. When you are young, you have a hard time imagining being able to carry a whole ballet. He made me realize I could do it. Atlanta Ballet was like a family. All of the dancers were so great and we were really close. I have great memories of my time there. SW: What made you decide to pursue a freelance career? LF: When you are in one place for a long period of time, you start to think, "what is it like somewhere else?". I thought about leaving my last couple of years with the company. I didn't audition for any other ballet companies, but I saw an audition for Movin' Out online. I had seen the show, really loved it, and thought, "I think I could do that." I decided to go to the audition with no big hopes for it. . .I just went on a whim. It was fun. I got kept until the end. They said they were interested but didn't actually need anyone at the time. . .6 months later I got a call. They called me up to New York and saw me dance, but they still didn't need anyone. Then 6 weeks later they called again and this time they wanted me. But, I couldn't go because I was mid season with the Atlanta Ballet. Then I got the courage to ask John for a temporary leave to give it a try. I was planning on coming back the next season. But, I really enjoyed doing the show and wasn't ready to come back when the Atlanta's season started. SW: Describe your life on the road with Movin' Out, dancing in the role of Judy. LF: I was in the first touring cast and really enjoyed it! In Atlanta, we didn't tour very much, so it was an exciting change. It was a talented and young cast. We were really close. It was great just having two suitcases and realizing that I didn't need a lot of stuff. I didn't have to do daily items like run errands, so I got a chance to really explore the cities we touring. I worked really hard, but it was so much fun that it didn't feel like work. Our only responsibilities were to perfrom and dance. Being young and happy--it was perfect! I would love to do it again. We went to amazing places like Japan for 6 weeks at a time. I never thought I would get an opportunity to go there, let alone dance there. SW: Have you always had an interest in doing a Broadway style show? LF: It was something I hadn't really thought about because I wasn't a singer. My brother and sister sing, so I was always around it, but I wasn't confident in my own vocal abilities. But I saw in the ad that I didn't have to sing for this audition. I did it just to give it a shot. In Broadway, it is a quick transition from studio to stage, but then you have so many shows with which to experiment and take risks. You perform so much that if something doesn't work one night then you can try something else the next. I loved performing that much. SW: Doing the same show night after night can be difficult. How did you keep each show fresh and exciting for you and the audience? LF: I thought I could never do the same show each night, but then I realized it doesn't have to feel the same. They gave us a lot of freedom in our artistic choices. We got notes on what did or didn't work, but they respected you, your resume, and your talent and let you really go for things in performance. It could be a very different show each night. I played more with the acting, something you don't always get to experience in ballet. There were times when things happened that were so natural and real and it was amazing to go beyond the steps and the spacing. Doing so many shows, I could let some of those technical aspects go, or have shows where I could be all about technique. It was my time to go a little crazy. SW: What did you do when the tour ended? LF: I asked John if I could come back to Atlanta Ballet in January. He was very kind and wanted to see what we could work out. Then the show closed and I wasn't ready to come back to Atlanta. It felt weird coming in mid season. So, I called Michael Pink and went out to Milwaukee and he offered me a chance to dance there. But, I really wasn't prepared to start all over again in Milwaukee, so I decided to stay in New York. It was the middle of the year which meant I wasn't able to go join a company. I sent out e-mails, and resumes, and got ahold of friends. . .asked around. I started to get some pick up work. Being a freelance dancer is really hard work because you have to be constantly contacting people, basically be your own manager. SW: How long have you been freelancing in NY? LF: I've been steadily doing freelance for the last 3 years. When I got a call from National Ballet of Canada to dance with them, I thought again about being a part of a company again. I went up there and it just didn't feel like the right fit. I like being in New York. There are things I miss about being in a company. I miss being coached. I often have to be my own coach, but I've found a few experiences that help to feed that need, like working a company like Ballet X. I could have stayed in Atlanta and been very happy there, but I ended up where I'm supposed to be. SW: You're a native New Yorker, correct? Did that play a role in your decision to freelance in New York vs. another major dance city like San Francisco or Minneapolis? LF: Definitely. I think because my family is here and I was away from them for so long. My boyfriend, whom I met doing Movin' Out, is also here. So it just kind of made sense to stay in New York. It's the most comforting thing to be near family when you are in transition. I would not have had that support system if I had moved out to a place like San Francisco. SW: Initially, what were some of the most difficult adjustments in the transition from company dancer to freelancer? LF: Learning how to be your own manager and get your own work. On top of that, you no longer have that financial stability, insurance, and shoe supply to count on. You take those things for granted, being with a union company for so long. But, I think freelancing suits my personality. SW: What companies/choreographers/productions have you been a part of since your move to New York? LF: I performed with the National Ballet of Canada last fall. I have danced with Ballet X in Philadelphia. I've danced with Judith Fugate and Medhi Bahari's company, BalletNY, for a few seasons. Most recently, I performed with the Metropolitan Opera working with choreographer, Alexi Ratmansky, which was particularly rewarding. And there are probably about 12 different smaller freelance companies I've worked with in the last few years. SW: What projects are you currently working on? LF: This project with Christopher Wheeldon came at the right time. I heard of the company before I went to the website to look into the auditioning process. I had been in contact with them for a bit and then heard from them last spring. He came and watched me take class at Steps and said he was interested, but wasn't sure if he could use me. Then I took class with them again in the fall. After, they asked me to go to Amsterdam with them the following week. But, I couldn't. I already had a job. I was worried I missed my chance. But I kept in touch and heard back when they asked me to dance with them for the 2010 season. SW: What are some of your interests outside of dance? LF: I am such a bunhead. Dancing takes up a huge part of my life. I am constantly online keeping up with dance, reading about dance, watching dance, etc. But, I also enjoy reading, cooking with my boyfriend, hanging with family. And I love to travel! When I have the time and money. SW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? LF: In the next 5 years, I would like to get married and start a family, but I am not ready to stop dancing any time soon. I just love dance. When it's time though, when it stops looking as pretty, I will still want to be involved in the dance world. I don't think teaching is quite my calling, but maybe being a ballet mistress or setting ballets. I really enjoyed doing that in Atlanta, and I felt like I was good at it. But, I would really like to have a few kids. We'll just have to see how it works out. But, ballet and dance will always be in my life. SW: You said that you have many Lolastretch leotards. Do you have a favorite? LF: I love them all but my favorite is my shrug off leotard. I think it is so flattering and comfortable. People are always asking me where I got it from. {Laura in a Diamondback Leotard from LOLAline Winter Collection. Photo by Steven Schreiber.} The views expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, LOLAstretch. Archived Featured Dancer Interviews: Fall 2010 -- Sarah Murphy, Juilliard student |
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