Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Desiree Nguyen talks life in Delaware

Desiree Nguyen made the big transition from Academy student to professional dancer this past Fall when she joined the First State Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in Wilmington, Delaware. We caught up with Desiree to talk about her experience as a professional dancer....

Desiree in First State Ballet Theatre's Season Opening performance.

At what age did you start training at the Ballet Academy of Central Florida?
I started training at Ballet Academy of Central Florida at age twelve.

What have been some of your favorite performances or experiences with the Central Florida Ballet (CFB)?
One of my favorite experiences I’ve had with CFB has been the outreach performances. I love being able to share my art form with others that usually don’t have the access to the classical arts on a regular basis.

How did you land your job at the First State Ballet Theatre?
I received a contract after participating in the Job Fair at the World Ballet Competition this past June.

Describe a typical day.
A typical work day for me, starts at 9 which is when I usually get to the studio giving me time to change, stretch, and have a morning chat with friends before our warmup class starts at 10. Class most of the time is about an hour and a half long which prepares us for the rehearsals to follow. Rehearsals usually run from 11:30 to 2 with no breaks between. Sometimes after rehearsals a couple of people will go out and grab a coffee before heading home. Then it all happens again the next day!


Desiree practices in the studio at First State Ballet Theatre.

How do you keep in touch with family and friends?
To keep in touch with friends, I try to call them once a week to keep up to date on current events in each others' lives. With that being said, I do have friends I don't talk to while away, but we still have a great friendship when we're back in the same place. While with family I usually talk to them every couple of days to keep them up to date on on things going on here in Wilmington.

What is your city like? What is popular among locals?
A popular place with the company dancers is a coffee shop less than half a block away from the studios called Brew-Haha! Another place you can often find us would be at a restaurant called Mikimotos which serves some of my favorite sushi in town. Wilmington is a fairly small city, so small that almost nothing is open on the weekends, but that’s just okay with me seeing that Philadelphia, Newark, and New York are all so close.

Desiree takes a striking photo in front of the Grand Opera House in downtown Wilmington where the First State Ballet Theatre's performances are held.

How are the classes/atmosphere/life different from CFB?
Company warmup is very different from student classes because you get artistic freedom with the movements, and there are very few corrections given during the class. The atmosphere is also completely different from being in a pre-professional setting. In a pre-professional setting you can work up to 5 months on a single production, where as in a company you can have as little time as 2 weeks to put an entire production together!


Desiree in First State Ballet Theatre's production of Swan Lake.

What did you learn from CFB that has helped you during your time there?
The most important thing I've learned from my time with CFB is dance etiquette. It's one of the most important things when working in a professional setting. Whether that be, how to be respectful to not only your directors but also your fellow dancers, to keeping your things neat while at the studio so it's not in the way of others.

What has surprised you most?
The major thing that surprised me, was how much our whole company genuinely cares about each other. It's been such a positive environment that I couldn't be more thankful for this to be my first company.

Desiree in First State Ballet Theatre's production of Swan Lake.

What are you looking forward to this Spring and what are your summer plans?
What I'm most excited for this spring is being a part of Elegant Souls: A Triple Bill. The program includes Walpurgis Night from the Opera Faust, Elegant Souls, a choreographed piece by Viktor Plotnikov, and the Grand Pas from Raymonda. Each of these pieces has such a different style compared to the other, which is going to push me artistically in ways I haven't been before.

After my season ends with the company, I hope to return to CFB and continue to take classes to keep improving my technique. Later on in the summer, I plan on attending New Jersey Ballet's Summer Intensive on a full scholarship.

Want to push yourself to the next level? Start classes at the Central Florida Ballet's official school by visiting our website for information on Spring Enrollment and our Summer Programs. http://www.centralfloridaballet.com