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Lia Cirio began her training at Swarthmore Ballet Theatre with Lori Ardis. At 14, she went to work with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She was 16 when she received a Level One award from The National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, and was a Presidential Scholar in the Arts finalist. That same year Cirio was invited by Mikko Nissinen to join Boston Ballet II. She was promoted to corps de ballet in 2004 and to second soloist in 2006. Her repertory at Boston Ballet includes Jorma Elo's Carmen (Micaela) and Plan to B, Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake (Four Cygnets, pas de cinq) and The Nutcracker (Marzipan, Dew Drop Fairy, Snow Queen, Arabian, and Columbine), Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote, James Kudelka's Cinderella, John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew, Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardée, Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias and Lambarena, Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty (Woodland Glade Fairy and the White Cat) and Raymonda, Act III, Bronislava Nijinska's Les Noces, Mark Morris' Up and Down, Helen Pickett's Etesian, William Forsythe's In the middle, somewhat elevated, Jiri Kylian's Falling Angels, and George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and Divertimento No. 15. She is currently a Second Soloist with Boston Ballet. Candice and Lia sit down at their respective computers for a long-distance myspace chat. (Yes, that is how the kids are doing interviews these days!) Lia is also our 2007 Calendar covergirl, if you have not seen it already! CT: So this past Nutcracker you performed your first Sugarplum. What was the preparation for that like? LC: Although this was my first Sugarplum with Boston, I had performed Sugarplum with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, my school, at the age of 16 with Benjamin Millipied, principal at NYC Ballet. So, I was able to draw from my experience there. Mikko Nissinen had prepared me last year for the role, so I felt as though I was ready for it this year. The artistic staff also paired me with an experienced partner, Sabi Varga, who is a personal friend, which made it a lot of fun for me. CT: Were you nervous? LC: Of course! But, I was able to perform the role several times this year, and I felt it got better as time went on. I think next year I'll be even more comfortable and able to relax and enjoy the whole thing much more. CT: But this was not your first standout role--what are some of the highlights from your career thus far? Do you have favorite roles or partners? LC: Wow. I could write a lot about that. I've been really honored to do some wonderful things both here in Boston and back in my school. I would have to say that I really try to enjoy what I'm dancing at the moment and to enjoy the partners I have at that time. I've been privileged to dance with the principals her in Boston - Carlos, Yuri, Nelson, Roman - and each is very special. But we have soloists and corps members here too that are wonderful partners. I really don't know that I could choose a favorite role. I am probably the only person in the world who still enjoys doing Nutcracker. I love Dew Drop most of all because of the music. I especially love Balanchine's Dew Drop. Actually, I love pretty much any of Balanchine's choreography. It makes sense to me. Divertimento #15 carries a special significance. Who Cares? Is just so much fun. But I'm trying to stretch myself and enjoy it all. Being able to dance pieces by Jorma Elo, Kylian and Forsythe has been so much fun-- challenging, too. The beauty of a company like Boston is that we get a chance to do it all. CT: What does the second half of the season have in store for you? What roles are you looking forward to? What is your dream role? LC: Well, right now I am extremely busy. The company is doing Balanchine's Midsummer and I am learning Hippolyta, Helena and understudying Titania. We are also rehearsing for a contemporary run and then we'll begin rehearsals for Giselle and another Balanchine run. I am really looking forward to dancing Hippolyta because it is such a commanding role. I am also really happy to dance Helena because there is acting involved and I want my artistic staff to see that I am capable in that sort of role. I would love to dance Titania, of course. I don't know if that will happen, but to learn it is a great honor. CT: Do you have a dream role? LC: If I had to pick a dream role, I would have to choose two. I would love to dance Odette/Odile! But, I would also love to dance Juliet because of the acting element. Besides, what a great love story! I really am a hopeless romantic...... CT: Did you always want to be a professional dancer or did you have other professions in mind growing up? LC: My parents say that I always talked about dancing, but I really didn't decide that I wanted to dance until I was right around 13. I had been dancing sort of recreationally, but played the role of Clara in The Nutcracker when I was 12. After that, I started thinking about it more seriously. CT: Is the career what you thought it would be so far? Have there been surprises, either good or bad? LC: I have been so privileged in my career so far. Boston Ballet and the artistic staff here have been so good to me. Actually, I think I am doing more than I thought I would. And I am not complaining about that! I love being busy and it depresses me when I am not dancing. So, busy is good. I guess the biggest surprise for me is that I still love being on stage. I mean, the day to day can get you down, but when the lights go on and the music starts, I am really happy. CT: Do you have any tricks for staying inspired when it is cold outside and you are in the middle of a busy season? LC: Boy, that's a good one. It can be very difficult to stay inspired during the long run of Nutcracker, but because it's Christmas, I can shop and wrap and still enjoy the season. I think right now is usually the most difficult time to stay inspired (because of the weather), but because I am in rehearsals all day, I don't really have time to think about anything else. I do try to pamper myself with long hot baths and a cup of tea at night. And, those who know me, know that all I need to stay inspired is a good shopping spree! I'm just fine then. CT: How do you find balance in such an all-consuming career? Do you have hobbies? LC: Balance is difficult in ballet, as every dancer knows. I am exhausted by the end of the day. I would love to say that I am taking a college class or that I have some sort of wonderful hobby. That's just not the case. I try to go to the gym for cross-training, I love to read (sometimes you'll find me in Boston Common with a good book), I love listening to music, watching movies (especially romantic ones), spending time with my kitty, and enjoying relationships. CT: What has 2006 taught you about yourself as a person? And as a dancer? LC: Well, 2006 was, on a personal level, a difficult year for me. A very tragic event took place that has probably changed me forever. It caused me to look at life differently. Prior to that time, I would have told you that ballet really defined me. But for a couple of months during 2006, I wasn't even sure I wanted to dance anymore. The joy for me was gone. I had to do a lot of soul-searching and praying to figure out if ballet made me happy any more. With the help of God, my family and some really close friends, I was able to see that I do love my career and I should be dancing. I was able to realize that not only does ballet not define me, but I can use my life experiences to make me a better dancer. CT: Do you have any new goals for 2007? LC: Life is short and can change in seconds, so it is so very important to make the most of what has been given us. It is with those thoughts that I go into 2007. My new goals for this year - Clean up my closets. Love my family and friends even more than I already do. CT: What is your favorite leo? LC: :-) All my LOLAstretches of course, especially the ones that make me look skinny!!!! 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: Winter 2007 -- Lia
Cirio, Boston Ballet |
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