Houston Ballet Principal Harper Watters Shares His Daily Routine
Houston Ballet dancer Harper Watters says his feelings have been “all over the place” since being promoted from first soloist to principal in March. “I’m proud of myself for all the work I’ve put into making this goal a reality, and grateful that my directors acknowledged that work,” Watters says.
To Watters, becoming a principal feels like confirmation that the choices he’s been made in his dancing were the right ones, allowing him, he says, “to explore new roles without any questions. For me dance is so much about making choices. Now I trust my choices, and I’m excited to see what that level of trust in myself can unlock.”
Houston Ballet has a packed performance schedule that runs from September through June, with over 85 performances in total. Below, Watters shares his typical performance-day routine.
9 am: Wake up and have coffee while journaling on the couch. “When I first started journaling, I thought I was giving Carrie Bradshaw/“Sex and the City” vibes,” Watters says. “Now it’s more of a recap of the day and what measurable goals I have. It puts things into perspective and really allows me to prioritize where I want to put my energy.”
9:45 am–10:15 am: Using social media. “Scrolling for entertainment usually turns into scrolling for inspiration,” Watters says. “I have thousands of videos saved to so many different folders, so when I see a video that sparks an idea, I’ll save it so I can come back to it. Sometimes it’s just the audio on a video, sometimes it’s how a video is edited.”
10:15 am: First breakfast, consisting of yogurt, granola, and blueberries. “We have a late start during performance weeks, and, because I wake up early, I find taking my breakfast in two parts helps with not getting hungry during the later rehearsal hours.”
10:45 am: Shower and skin care. “If the bank allows it, there are a lot of Sunday Riley products,” Watters says. “My routine is simple: cleanse, serum or oil, moisturize.” His biggest skin-care tip? Always wash your face after a show or at the end of rehearsal day.
11:15 am: Second breakfast, consisting of eggs and toast.
11:30 am (ish): Leave for work.
11:40 am: Get to Houston Ballet and change for class.
11:50 am: Start Pilates warm-up, “making sure to warm up the back, mobilize my ankles, and get the core and legs firing for barre,” Watters says.
12:30 pm–1:45 pm: Company class.
1:45 pm–2:05 pm: Break. “I eat a protein bar, try some steps that we might be rehearsing, and go over choreography.”
2:05 pm–4:30 pm: Rehearsal. “These hours are usually spent either rehearsing casts that aren’t [performing], or in the dress rehearsal that night, or going over the notes that might not have been given from a run last week.”
4:45 pm–6:15 pm: Watters heads home for lunch, a 20-minute power nap, and another coffee before heading back to the studios. Some days, he eats lunch at the studio. “We eat in the great room, where we have our dancers table, and that’s where the tea is spilled.”
6:15 pm–6:45 pm: Re-warm-up with another Pilates workout.
6:50 pm: Sign in at the theater and apply stage makeup.
7:15 pm: Put costume on and head down to the stage to feel the floor, chat with partners, and go over choreography.
7:30 pm–10:30 pm: Dress rehearsal or performance.
10:45 pm: Get out of makeup and head home.
11 pm–12 am: Watters’ nighttime routine consists of dinner and an Epsom salt bath. He follows that up with stretching and rolling with his foam roller and goes to bed around midnight.
Days Off
On Sundays, the first day of Watters’ weekend, he works on his content for social media. After journaling, breakfast, showering, and skin care, he’ll plan outfits and organize shooting equipment. By 10:40 am, he’s off to a ballet or photo studio to create content.
“My platform is an extension of who I am. The music, the fashion, the story—it’s all well thought out,” Watters says. One social post might take an hour and a half to shoot and another hour and a half to edit before posting.
After a late lunch, he’ll do chores and then take a nap before meeting up with friends in the evening. Watters and his friends like to share home-cooked meals, go on walks through Houston’s parks and neighborhoods, and, on fancier nights, support local charities and galas.
On Mondays, Watters usually heads to physical therapy. He follows that up with grocery shopping and lunch before getting a massage.
He meal preps in the evening. Afterwards he packs up his dance clothes and watches TV, either “The Real Housewives” or “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Then he reads and scrolls social media before getting into bed at 10:30 pm.
