The Secrets to a Great Partnership

What makes a great ballet partnership? To most of us, it seems to be some mysterious combination of sweat and magic.

Earlier this week, The New Zealand Herald posed the question to Gillian Murphy, who’s currently starring as Odette/Odile in the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s tour of Swan Lake. She says commincation and diplomacy are essential: “A dance partnership is a lot like marriage.” Murphy herself is currently engaged to RNZB’s high-profile artistic director Ethan Stiefel. While he mentions instinct and strength as the keys to a successful partnership, Murphy lists musicality, coordination, chemistry, connection and spontaneity. “The dialogue has to be about your body, your energy, the character,” she says. “Swan Lake is about the power of love. It is meaningless without that deep connection.”

Check out what other stars—including Marcelo Gomes and Paloma Herrera—told Pointe about their must-haves in a partner.