12 Quickfire Questions With March/April Cover Star Emily Kikta
To get to know our March/April digital cover star a little bit better, we asked her 12 quickfire questions. Read on for New York City Ballet soloist Emily Kikta’s go-to snack, current music obsession, pre-show routine, and more.
What is your favorite step or part of class?
I like to turn. So, turns.
What is your least favorite step or part of class?
I hate saut de basques. I hate them.
Do you have a favorite spot at the barre or in center?
On the wall, at the end. I really like to stand close to the piano.
What are your pointe shoe specs?
They are Freed classic with extra glue and a Classic Pro insole. They’re cut down a little bit, but other than that they’re normal. And they’re Treble-Clef maker.
Ballet slippers: leather or canvas?
Canvas.
Coffee or tea, and how do you take it?
Both. And just with milk in both.
What is your go-to snack?
I really like chicken salad. People make fun of me because I always have chicken salad with me.
What is your pre-performance routine?
I do makeup, then my hair, and then I do a round of all of my exercises in my dressing room, because I like to stay up there as long as I can. Then I go down and do a five-minute barre, I put my pointe shoes on, and do it.
What do you eat before a show?
If it’s a long ballet and it’s the end of the night, I do something I inherited from Lauren King, a former NYCB soloist, where you eat a large baked sweet potato, because it keeps you full the whole night. If it’s something quicker, I have a bar or applesauce pre-show, because it’s sugary and satisfying.
What or who are you listing to right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers and boygenius because it feels very wintry.
What are you watching right now?
I’ve been trying to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies. I also just saw Saltburn and May December, both wild in different ways.
What are you reading right now?
I’m reading the fourth book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels.
