Mimi Staker, from “Strictly Ballet,” on Life at NYCB
Many of you may remember last summer’s “Strictly Ballet,” Teen Vogue’s reality web series that took viewers inside the high-pressure lives of six students at the School of American Ballet. And you may especially remember those nerve-racking class scenes with Peter Martins, ballet master in chief of New York City Ballet, as he assesses SAB’s highest level students for possible company apprenticeships. At the series’ end, we learn (spoiler alert!) that then 17-year-old North Carolina native Mimi Staker has made the cut.
Since then, life has gotten even more exciting for Staker—after a few months as an apprentice, she was promoted to a full-fledged corps member. (And on May 13, she’ll debut in her first leading role as Maria in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite!) In a new online video released today on The Scene, Staker reveals how her life has changed and what a typical day is like at NYCB. (And they’re long, often going from 10 am to 10 pm.) You can check it out here:
Season 2 of “Strictly Ballet” premieres May 20.