In the Studio with Boston Ballet II: Follow These Motivated Stars of Tomorrow Through a Day in the Life
For the members of Boston Ballet II, Thursday mornings are a special treat. At 9 am, well before the company arrives, they begin their own class with BBII associate director Peter Stark. It’s their chance to talk through corrections and dig into the details of their technique—a welcome break from the fast-paced company environment they’re just getting used to. “I really enjoy our Thursday class,” says Catherine Livingston, 19, who joined BBII last fall. “It’s just the 10 of us, and Peter coaches us all individually.”
BBII serves as a one- to two-year transitional period for young dancers just out of ballet school. “Many people think it’s about going onstage, but it’s more than that,” says Stark. “It’s learning the corporate culture, learning how to behave in company class and rehearsal, learning how to manage your schedule—all the elements of becoming a professional at a young age.” Since artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s time is split between numerous company duties, Stark’s job is to help the BBII dancers adjust: “They have an advocate on their side, trying to help them.”
Most mornings BBII takes class with Boston Ballet, dancing next to stars like Misa Kuranaga and Lia Cirio. As a student, Livingston was used to getting a lot of corrections. “Company life is a little different, because they expect you to be in charge of yourself,” she says. “Sometimes company members will come up and give us pointers, which is really awesome.” The rest of the day is spent in company rehearsals, supplementing the corps and understudying, and in rehearsals for BBII’s own performances. “By doing their own shows, they can practice duets and solos,” says Stark, “things that push them and feed their artistic souls.”
Juggling company and BBII duties can be both exhilarating and exhausting. Pointe recently went behind the scenes with this hard-working troupe to see what a typical day is like for them.
All photos by Liza Voll.
“As long as you know what you’re doing and you can jump in when they need you to, people here will respect you.” —Thomas Davidoff
Thomas Harrison and Gabriela Schiefer rehearse Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes. “They’re doing significant rep, which builds their resumé,” says Boston Ballet II associate director Peter Stark.
Catherine Livingston and Derek Drilon run through Christopher Wheeldon’s The American.
“We’re always trying to perform at our highest level,” says BBI dancer Thomas Davidoff. “You can’t sit back. you have to keep learning.” Here, Davidoff partners Caroline Buckheit, 16, who is enrolled in an online high school program.
Because the main company does not have an apprentice rank, BBII dancers enjoy a more generous salary than most second companies, at roughly $25,000 a year. They also receive full health and dental insurance and can contribute to a retirement account. Here: BBII dancer Christian Pforr in company rehearsals for John Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet.
“We’re always with the company, which is a pretty great thing. You develop a relationship with the dancers and artistic staff,” says Caroline Buckheit. Here, Buckheit dances with a company member in rehearsal.
“I’m so amazed by how self-motivated the company members are. They inspire me to push myself,” says BBII dancer Catherine Livingston. Here: Pforr and fellow BBII member August Atahu Generalli go over notes for Romeo & Juliet.
“Being in the second company is challenging because you have to follow the BBII schedule as well as be fully committed to the company,” says Buckheit.
Gabriela Schiefer watches company dancers rehearse. Understudying is a large part of BBII’s responsibility. “There’s so much going on that there’s a large chance you’ll go in,” says Livingston. “The girl I was understudying for Nutcracker got injured, and I ended up doing every show.”
