Milwaukee Ballet’s Jennifer Hackbarth Comes Home Again
Jennifer Hackbarth’s diverse career has come full circle. The Wisconsin native trained at the Milwaukee Ballet School before finishing her studies at the John Cranko School and School of American Ballet. She first danced with New York City Ballet before joining Dresden Semperoper Ballet for six years, and later Sarasota Ballet as a principal dancer. This season, she returned to her roots, joining Milwaukee Ballet as a leading artist. Below she shares what she’s learned from her journey, how she prepares for performances, her most challenging role, and more.
You were born and raised in Milwaukee. How does it feel to be back dancing for your hometown company?
It’s wonderful. I grew up wanting to be these dancers. I remember studying them from the [observation] window as a little girl. They’d walk down the hallway and say hi, and I’d think: Oh my gosh, they said hello to me! And now I’m back, and I have the opportunity to be that person. It’s very special.
You previously danced for three very different companies, in terms of size, region, and repertoire. What did you gain from each of those places?
I’m very grateful to have started my career at New York City Ballet, dancing Balanchine and Martins ballets. It helped form me as a professional because it was such a large company, and so much was expected of you. It taught me how to rise to that type of occasion. And then Europe was a whole other world. I was in Dresden from age 18 to 24. I became an adult there, and rose through the ranks. I danced choreography by William Forsythe and David Dawson, but also big, three-act classical ballets.
And then Sarasota Ballet was a very Ashton/British company, with repertoire that was all new to me. We went on tour to The Royal Ballet, which was so fun. Each step along the way has taught me so much.
You trained at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany, for a year as a young teenager. What was the hardest thing about leaving home?
Leaving my family and support system. I was only 14. I had to learn a new language, culture, and way of life and, on top of that, train at a very large, prestigious ballet school. I was suddenly in a German public school, learning math in German, figuring out how to do laundry. But it was a very exciting experience, and it prepared me for when I took the job in Dresden later.
What do you enjoy more, performing or being in the studio?
Performing. I was told once by a coach that you also have to enjoy the journey. I always try to remind myself of that, because the majority of your time is spent in that process. But I love that moment when the curtain comes up, and it’s now or never.
What role taught you the most about yourself?
The one I’m working on now, Giselle. There’s so much dancing. You have to be human, and then you have to be ethereal. You have to portray the style, but then you also have to be the character. The acting has to inform the dancing, and you have to carry the audience on such a human journey.
What is your pre-performance routine?
I’m a creature of habit. While I do my makeup, I wear a T-shirt that [Royal Ballet artistic director] Kevin O’Hare gave me as a merde gift before my show at The Royal Ballet. I do my makeup the same way every time. And then I have a few little trinkets around me, like a little angel from my godmother. I write a Bible verse in my pointe shoes. And I always do the same barre.
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be?
George Balanchine. I’ve always wanted to meet him. I find him fascinating, especially after going to SAB and being in NYCB and working with the people that danced for him and knew him.
What’s something that the average person doesn’t know about you?
I’m a terrible cook. It’s kind of a running joke with my friends and family.
What is the least glamorous part about being a dancer?
The pain. These little battle scars that we get as dancers? They’re intense!
Of your repertoire, what ballet was the hardest?
Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. It’s so technically challenging for the ballerina, and you never stop. There are so many solos, so many pas de deux. I was very appreciative of the coaching I received in that role. It’s a marathon, but it was a very special experience at the same time.
If you could take anything with you to a desert island, what would it be?
Things people have given me over the years. I have a little plastic puppy toy that one of my teachers, Tatiana Jouravel, gave me. I have a little angel and a heart from Mireille Favarel, my coach here. Plus little cards from my partners or my parents, and rose petals from bouquets that I’ve been given.
What is your biggest indulgence?
Halo Top ice cream and reality TV! You’ve got your feet up, your fuzzy blanket, your ice cream, the TV on—that’s a pretty good night, I’d say.
What advice do you have for aspiring dancers?
In ballet it can be very hard to be yourself. It’s very easy to say, “This person does this many pirouettes, so I have to do that many pirouettes.” I try to always ask myself, “How can I do this to the best of my ability?” We all want to do the steps perfectly, but how you do that is what makes you special.
If ballet is what you want to do, don’t give up. Don’t let anybody make you feel that being you isn’t good enough. Stay true to who you are.
