Her profession hovering at Miami Metropolis Ballet, Taylor Naturkas has ridden on the wings of fabled creatures for her newest successes. After Naturkas carried out the titular function within the Balanchine/Robbins Firebird final February, inventive director Lourdes Lopez promoted her to principal soloist. Two months later, Naturkas debuted as Odette/Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake. This fall she’s prepared for a deeper dive into Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night time’s Dream, after her spring visitor look on this work with New York Metropolis Ballet.
Firm: Miami Metropolis Ballet
Age: 21
Hometown: Petoskey, Michigan
Coaching: Crooked Tree Arts Heart College of Ballet, Miami Metropolis Ballet College
The dance within the particulars: Naturkas joined the MCB corps in 2020 after two years on the firm college, the place she constructed her stage presence on strong fundamentals. The readability of particulars in her interpretations—sharp pointe work, eloquent poses, daring jumps and balances—makes for a clean musicality. And technical underpinnings allow the large, viewer-grabbing results. Lopez took discover when Naturkas, nonetheless a scholar at MCB College, was rehearsing Don Quixote. “She breezed via the pas de deux, variation, and coda, together with the fouettés,” the director says. “Afterwards she went to the again and began doing relevés on her left leg, additional strengthening her calf—a transparent indication of each her expertise and work ethic.” Whereas nonetheless a pre-professional within the college, Naturkas was solid as Dewdrop in her first MCB Nutcracker, the prelude to her firm contract.
Classes for artwork and life: “There have been quite a lot of nerves,” Naturkas remembers about that preliminary highlight function. “However I advised myself ‘Simply do it.’ ” She nonetheless depends on this mindset and steadfast preparation—abilities nurtured at Crooked Tree by 2010 Dance Instructor Award recipient Heather Raue. “She taught me psychological power and easy methods to maintain myself,” says Naturkas, “qualities I carry past ballet into my private life.” Her Firebird achievement got here with Raue applauding within the viewers.
Sisters and mates: Of their small summer-resort city on Lake Michigan, Taylor and her fraternal twin, Autumn, began dance lessons collectively however rapidly took to separate actions—a self-determination their dad and mom inspired. “Autumn and I like being into various things. She’s captivated with horses and now works at our dad’s restaurant. However we’re nonetheless finest mates, giving one another recommendation. We at all times have a lot to make amends for!”
Broad horizons: With each project, Naturkas elevates the great thing about her artwork type. “In Swan Lake I took the whole lot I may from such an enormous course of,” she says, grateful for the chance to develop her appearing. Working with Ratmansky left her wanting to carry out in his Footage at an Exhibition subsequent yr. However she provides, “Every thing is so new for me. I need to be a sluggish dancer, a fast dancer—I need to do all of it.”
