Tattoos and Tutus

PhillyIn: So, was growing up in Laguna Hills, Orange Country, like living inside the TV show “The O.C.”? (For those who don’t know, Barette Vance was born in sunny Laguna Hills. She lived a charmed childhood and doesn’t try to pretend otherwise. That’s part of her charm.)

Barette Vance: “Basically,” she laughs. “I was very privileged; I loved my neighborhood, the weather, my friends… the Saddleback Dance Center, where I’d dance till 10 every night, even on the weekends.”

PI: Nights and weekends? I guess the discipline of ballet isn’t completely compatible with the carefree “Laguna Beach” lifestyle. So what brought you to Saddleback?

BV: “When I was 2, my mom put me in class, I guess because of my grandmother. Once I started, I was like “I wanna dance! I wanna dance! I want more classes!” (She acts out the scene in her best Minnie Mouse voice.)

PI: Barette recalls the advice of her teacher at her very first recital, “No matter what happens, just smile and have fun and look at the audience.”

BV: “So, I’m a TOTAL ham, just smiling at the audience. I’m the smallest one in the class, holding onto my teacher’s skirt. We’re walking and walking… she stops, and I’m still walking…I run right into her, still smiling! And at that moment, my mom and dad were like “Well, I guess she’ll never be a dancer.”

The Legend of “Barette” Vance

PI: You mentioned your grandmother. What did she have to do with your mom’s decision to sign you up for dance?

BV: “Well, she died before I was born, so I never met her. But, she has definitely been my inspiration. I’ve felt this really deep connection to her since I was a kid. My grandmother was a dancer too. She danced for the Royal Ballet of London.”

PI: That’s so cool. Can you tell me more about her?

BV: “Well, her name was Margo. She lived in South Africa, and met my grandfather in London. He saw her on stage and fell in love.” She points to her wrist, “This tattoo means ‘Believe’ in Afrikaans, which my grandmother spoke. Belief, to me, is the most important thing in life.”

PI: How about the other tattoos?

BV: She points to her other wrist, “These 2 stars – I got the first when I made apprentice, the second when I got in the corps.  This is my soloist promotion. 3 has always been my lucky number. That’s new. My mom doesn’t know about that yet…”

PI: So, did you fall in love with ballet right away?

BV: “I did ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop and modern dance. But by age 11, I was really in love with ballet. I went to my first summer intensive at the Houston Ballet that year. The following two summers, I attended sessions at S.A.B.”

PI: And what’s S.A.B.?

BV: “It’s the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. It’s the best school, if not in the world, then definitely in the country. And it’s the only way you can get into the NYC Ballet. My second year there, when I was 14, they invited me to stay for their year-round program. At that time, I was the youngest person they had ever asked. They even did a little TV special on me. It’s really funny! I have braces on my teeth, my mom’s next to me, crying. …and my dad plays it whenever a new boyfriend comes to visit!”

PI: So did you leave home? Go to New York at age 14? That’s really young.

BV: “They told my mom ‘we understand if you say no, because she is so young…’ and I told my mom, ‘if you don’t let me go, I will cause you so much hell!’” she laughs as she retells the story… “This is what I want to do! You HAVE to let me do it!’ My mom signed the papers and didn’t even ask my dad.”

PI: So you played the “brat” card? She didn’t even ask?

BV: “…yeah, nope.” Barette says grinning ear to ear.

PI: You weren’t scared?

BV: “No. I was SO ready! I don’t even remember being homesick. I was just super excited. I knew this was what I wanted to do. Being at S.A.B. was just a dream come true.”

PI: But you were only 14, did you ever feel like you missed out on something there?

BV: “No. I’ve lived a different kind of life. It’s something I can tell my kids. But I’ve always made friends outside of my career. For instance, I never dated a ballet dancer. So I feel like I’ve kept a normal life as well. The only thing I really missed growing up was basketball or football games…I never went to any of those! Now I just go to the professional ones!”

PI: So no ballet boyfriends in the mix. How about a non-ballet boyfriend?

BV: “Nope! I am single and ready to mingle!” She smiles slyly and giggles.

PI: So, what precisely are you looking for among the “Men of Philadelphia”?

BV: “Let’s see…I’m looking for someone who is ambitious. Also, I need to be with someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. I think having good family values and morals is really important. I want someone who will love me for just me. Also, someone who makes me want to be a better person. A best friend. Someone I can share my life struggles with and know that we’ll make it through and at the same time, have that extreme passion that you feel when you’re the only two people in the middle of a room and there’s a hundred people around you. I want to feel that deep connection with someone…So, that’s what I’m looking for.”

PI: That’s all? Mr. Everything?

BV: She laughs. “Yep, that’s what I’m trying to find. I’m definitely out there dating…but haven’t found the right one yet.”

PI: (Mr. Everything, if you’re out there, feel free to email the editor at talktokate@phillyin.com. I might pass your info along to Barette…unless you prefer brunettes )

OK . . .  Boyfriends aside . . . At some point, you come to Philly. Where did you decide to live?

BV: “I moved to Rittenhouse first. When I got my corps contract, I bought my place in Northern Liberties.

PI: You just mentioned a “corps contract,” and it strikes me that very few people know just how a ballet company works.  Can you describe your career experience with the Pennsylvania Ballet?

BV: “First, I was an apprentice. Then, the company hired me as a ‘new dancer’ for a year and the next year I got my corps contract. One year later, I was promoted to soloist. So, I was very lucky. Most people spend a lot of time in the corps before they get promoted.”

PI: Sounds like you moved through the ranks quickly. Was it all clear sailing?

BV: “Well, not exactly…5 years ago, we were to perform Swan Lake, and the girl that was doing the part got injured. They asked me to do it. I was only an apprentice, at the time, and here I was going to be performing a principal part on opening night! (This was a huge deal for an apprentice. So I was super honored, and shocked.)  Then, a week before we were supposed to go on stage, I was in rehearsal and I felt a pop in my ankle. I finished the rehearsal on one foot and fell to the floor crying. My foot blew up! I had shattered a bone in my ankle, near my Achilles. I couldn’t even move my foot.”

PI: So, your “Big Break” ended in a big break. Were you worried you might never dance again?

BV: “Yeah. I was just devastated. I remember getting my cast off, and I had lost 70% of the movement in my foot. But mom found a great surgeon, Dr. Ferkel. The PT was really difficult. Especially since all I could think was, ‘there goes my chance of ever getting promoted.’ It was the worst possible timing for me. That summer I made it a point to take class every single day to strengthen my foot. And that’s how I got back to where I am today. I worked really, really hard.”

Dew Drop to Hip Hop

PI: You recently got a new title. Can you tell us about that?

BV: “So, now my title is the Janis and Stephen Goodman Soloist Dancer. It’s a huge honor. I met Janis at one of our events and we just completely bonded. They’ve been very sweet and very giving to me.”

PI: Do you have a favorite piece you have performed with the PA Ballet?

BV: “Dew Drop (in the Nutcracker)! She’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I feel at home dancing that part. To me, she expresses what a ballerina should be – powerful but graceful. 3 years ago, there was this one performance of Dew Drop where I swear my grandmother was with me.  She was holding me in a balance. I felt like I wasn’t even touching the ground. And I held it so long that I went past the music. I came off stage crying. It was the weirdest out of body experience I’ve had in my life.”

PI: What piece haven’t you done that you would love to do?

BV: “OMG! I would love to dance Romeo and Juliet! That would be my dream role. I think I could retire after that! It’s very challenging, not only technically, but emotionally.”

PI: Do you have any pre-performance rituals?

BV: “Before I go on stage I do the sign of the cross 4 times, and I always talk to my grandma. I also have to have a glazed donut from Starbucks. (Has to be from Starbucks!)  Oh, and I listen to Rihanna or Beyonce.”

PI: Rihanna or Beyonce before you dance the ballet?

BV: “Yeah! It gets me really pumped and I feel very independent and strong.”

PI: I think that might surprise a lot of people. Can you give the younger readers of PI a few reasons to be excited about attending the ballet?

BV: “Well guys, there are a lot of beautiful young women there! And we’re not doing just the classics anymore. It’s very vogue! Every young person that I’ve brought has fallen in love. Once you actually get your butt to the ballet, you realize that this is really cool.”

PI: Tickets are pretty expensive to the ballet. Are there any options for younger people?

BV:  “Ticket prices start as low as $21.50. We also offer Student Rush Tickets – Show up to the theater one hour before show time and get a ticket for $15 with your valid student ID.” (Or win tickets from PhillyIn! See below.)

PI: So, what does Barette Vance do to stay in shape?

BV: “O god, this is gonna sound horrible…I don’t really do anything.” She laughs a lot. “No seriously, my ex-boyfriend wanted to take this picture of me with powdered sugar all over my face. I had just eaten 2 funnel cakes, and he said, ‘maybe we should send this into Dance Magazine, and say look at how Barette Vance stays in shape.’”

PI: Just looking at you, there must be more to it than that.

BV: “No, really.  I just went to the gym for the first time in 3 years. And I bought an elliptical a year and half ago that I’ve only used twice.  I do walk my dogs a lot. But honestly, dancing gets me into the best shape.”

PI: It sounds like you’re able to maintain a healthy mental attitude about your body.  Society seems to breed unhealthy ones among young women today. When you were younger, did you feel that you had body image issues or see other girls struggling through them?

BV: “Yeah, when I was in school in New York, there were times when I was way too thin and they had me gain weight. Then, when I gained the weight, they told me I was too big, and I had to lose weight. I never had an eating disorder, but I knew a number of girls in the school that did, or took drugs to get thinner. That, to me, is absurd and not needed in this world.  

But, when you’re in S.A.B., the only way you get into the NYC Ballet is by being chosen by the director.  He comes to class and chooses who he wants. You don’t audition. He just says, ‘I want that, that, and that.’ And that’s it. And at that time, my body wasn’t what he wanted. He’s VERY specific about body type. I just did not want to continue to kill myself, trying to look like a 19 year old boy, while my body was changing into a woman’s.  I think as human beings, your body can only take so much.”

PI: Ballet seems to put high pressure on its dancers, how do you deal with it now?

BV: “Since I’ve been in this company I’ve never had issues. I realize now that it doesn’t have to be that way…I love my director here (Roy Kaiser), and I love working here, and I don’t think I’d be happy working under another director. I’ve been very blessed to have him.  He’s awesome. And, a wonderful mentor. He’s more of a human being than any other director I know.”

 “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner”

PI: What’s your favorite dance movie?

BV: “Dirty Dancing, by far.”

PI: Have you ever worked at a “regular job”?

BV: “I never had a job other than ballet. I have done some modeling and leotard design. But that’s it.”

PI: Speaking of dance gear — Dancers are often asked to wear some really ridiculous costumes. Ever have a wardrobe malfunction?

BV: “No, not so much, not for me…I – Ooooh!- wait, actually, in Midsummer Nights Dream, I was one of the butterflies. I had these big wings – I mean like, ‘ginormous.’ And I was going off the stage and my wing got caught. And –ooo-I got yelllllled at.” She giggles. “But how was I supposed to know my wings, that were way up there, were caught?”

PI:  Well, wings and costumes.  I guess that brings us to FASHION. I happen to know that you love it!

BV: “It’s fun! When I was in NYC, I was in heaven. I used to walk 5^th Ave. and window shop and pretend I was going to buy all this stuff from Bergdorf Goodman.”

PI: Do you have any favorite brands or designers?

BV: “BCBG Runway! I wear it to every event. I’m a huge fan of Gucci, Chloe, Stella McCartney, and Yves St. Laurent. It’s so important to dress how you feel. Some days I’ll be very preppy and conservative in a pencil skirt or pants suit. Some days I’ll wear leather leggings and spikes because I’ll feel more punk rock. I like to have fun with fashion.”

PI: So, now we know your favorite fashions in clothes.  How about in music?

BV: “Totally hip hop! I’m a huge hip-hop girl. Rihanna, Beyonce…I love Drake, Justin Bieber,” she says giggling like a teeny bopper. “I’m a HUGE Justin Bieber fan! Robin Thicke – I would marry him tomorrow! I also enjoy Kings Of Leon.”

PI: Do you listen to any classical music in your downtime?

BV: “No. I can’t. I just start choreographing in my head and it’s so distracting.”

PI: Do you dance in your bedroom?

BV: “Yeah I do! I dance when I’m getting ready to go out. I even dance in my car. All the time!”

PI: What item would you be lost without?

BV: “Mascara! I have blond eyelashes!”

PI: What is a favorite guilty pleasure of yours?

BV: “The Real Housewives…of New York, Orange County and Atlanta. And Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

PI: Tell me a secret about you.

BV: “Oh gosh…I like to write poetry. But I don’t think that I’m very good at it, so I don’t show anybody. So that can be my secret. Oh and I also love Bollywood movies!

PI: Bollywood? How did you get into that?

BV: “My ex boyfriend, who was Indian, actually got me into them. But then I fell in love with the colors, fabrics, love stories, and overall beauty of the films.”

PI: Do you have any favorites Bollywood movies and actors?

BV: “Yes! Don, Billu Barber, and Dil To Pagal Hai, just to name a few of my fav movies! And actors… I looove Shah Rukh Khan and also Abhishek Bachchan.”

PI: Do you tweet?

BV: “I don’t, but I’m thinking about starting!” (Update: Barette has begun tweeting! Follow her @BaretteVance3 )

PI: I met your pooch (sooooo cute) the other day at our photo shoot. Tell me about her.

BV: “Well, actually, I have 3. RR, a Jack Russell-Greyhound Mix, the smartest dog you’ll ever meet. Tuxedo, (who I call Tuxx or Little Man) a Toy Fox Terrier, the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. And Pinx, a Long-Haired Chihuahua. She’s just so precious. She’s only 3 months. I love her! They’re like my little family in Philadelphia.”

PI: A few years ago, you were highlighted in Philly Mag. How was that experience?

BV: “I got a phone call from the editor that PM was doing a special on up-and-coming ‘influential people’ (people who were going to innovate and change Philly). At the time, I was 24 and only in the corps. I asked, ‘Are you sure you have the right person? Is this a joke?’ But, I guess he really enjoyed a performance of mine, and left thinking…I dunno…that I was gonna change something?” she laughs, shrugging her shoulders. “When the time came, I was the last person on set, so they had to superimpose me into the group shot. In reality, I wasn’t beside any of those people in the photo! However, I was really happy to be in it. I was genuinely thankful to have been chosen.”

PI: What’s your favorite thing about living in Philly?

BV: “My neighborhood, Northern Liberties!”

PI: What’s your favorite No Libs spot?

BV: “I love the Mexican place, Dos Segundos, and North Bowl.”

Bad-Ass Ballerina

PI: What do you think is the biggest misconception about you?

BV: “That I’m extremely high maintenance. But I have a big heart and…I love eating at Taco Bell! I do enjoy having little luxuries in life. But I make my own money. I don’t need a man to provide for me. (Although, like any girl, I appreciate a man who picks up the tab on a date.) Honestly, I am just a down-to-earth person.”

PI: I understand that you’re very involved with “Big Brothers Big Sisters.” Can you tell me a little about that?

BV: “I have a little sister. She’s 14. I think she’s great. For me, it’s not so much about being a mentor. It’s more about being a friend, an ear, someone to talk to. And, if she ever needs someone, she’s knows that she has me there. We have a lot in common. We’ve bonded nicely. It’s something I always wanted to get into. I love it.”

PI: Do you think you’ll teach dance when you retire?

BV: “Actually, once I stop performing, I’d like to get more into the behind-the-scenes. Perhaps, PR or advertising, or even a clothing line tied to ballet or dancewear. But you never know. I thought I’d be married by now, or at least engaged.” She chuckles. “Everything changes.”

PI: In our first In-Focus interview, Reggie and Jackiem talked to us about their goals to be relevant in this world. What is relevance to you?

BV: “To be able to balance family and career. I want to be this bad-ass ballet dancer, a business woman, and the best wife and mother I can be! My mom is an extremely amazing woman. She’s a VP at Capezio, maintains a great relationship with my father, and is the best mom that I could ask for. I really look up to that. That’s relevance to me.”

PI: Do you have any advice for young dancers?

BV: “If this is really what you want, put in all the hard work and don’t give up. There were people I encountered at the beginning of my career who told me I would NEVER be a professional dancer. Yet, here I am, a soloist in a major ballet company, because I believed in myself. When someone tells you no, use it as fuel, and work ten times harder. Believe in yourself; believe in your family; believe in love; believe that anything can happen. That’s why I have this tattoo that says ‘Believe’ – because I think it’s that important. That word means so much.”

Win one pair of Orchestra seats to a performance of Program IV, May 5-9 at the Merriam Theater!!! To be entered in the drawing, answer the following questions correctly and send your answers to talktokate@phillyin.com

1. How many tattoos does Barette have?

2. What favorite role has she performed?

3. What are her dog’s names?

4. What non-profit does she work with?

5. What does Barette eat before every performance?

6. What is her favorite Philly hotspot?

Behind the Scenes of Barette Vance’s PhillyIn Photoshoot

Follow Barette on Twitter: @BaretteVance3

And for more information on the Pennsylvania Ballet, visit their Official Website: http://www.paballet.org/