He's blonde, 6"1, walks like a god, and has a maturity on stage that belies his 21 years. And can he dance! Meet David Hallberg, newly appointed Soloist of The American Ballet Theatre, and well on his way to becoming a world class premier danseur.

Finis: David, when I first met you at a Workshop in Arizona when you were 13, you seemed so little, and I would never have imagined you'd grow to become the imposing dancer you are today. Tell us about those early days.

David: I was doing Tap and Jazz, and had just started ballet at The Arizona School for the Arts. Kee Juan Han was my first ballet teacher, and he still serves as my mentor. I was starting at a rather late age, and he recognized that and basically took me under his wing, for four very intense years.

Finis: And, after that?

David: When I was 17, I came to New York and did the ABT Summer intensive. Then I spent a year at The Paris Opera Ballet School -- I was in the last year of high school. After that, I did another summer at ABT, and then I went straight into the ABT Studio Company.

Finis: What has motivated you in your career?

David: I have to say that Mr. Han was my total influence. He strongly advised lots of hard work, especially because I was starting late. He said that if I wanted it I'd have to work really hard.

Finis: So how did he train you?

David: I'd have two technique classes a day, perhaps a modern class, rehearsals, and then private lessons with Mr. Han, where we'd work solely on technique.

Finis: Well, he certainly did right by you. I was just amazed when I saw you do Grand Pas Classique with Michele Wiles. You were so sure of yourself, and danced with such vigor and elegance. You just went for it, and you did it. I had so much fun! In fact, that seems to be what distinguishes you, besides your height and blond hair. You seem to be so comfortable on stage. Tell us more about how you've trained and developed during the past years.

David: I think that what was really important for me was going to The Paris Opera, where I absorbed everything I could. It's so established; there's such tradition, both within the school and in the company. It really opened up my eyes to a whole new dance world. It made me realize what's out there. As I look back now, I can see how much I gained from the competition there, as well as all the material I was given.

Finis: From time to time we see dancers from The Paris Opera, and I have always been terribly impressed with their extraordinarily high level of technique and artistry. They definitely have something that American dancers don't. What makes the difference?

David: I think it's the culture, and the way they're brought up in the school. They're groomed so well, from such a young age, and they are so aware of what one day they may step into, when they join the company. There's such a sense of pride, in knowing that they're representing The Paris Opera Ballet, where so many great choreographers and artists like Nureyev have worked.

Finis: Ah ha. I think that's what I see in you. You have a sense of being groomed, of manners, of stage deportment. You step out on the stage with such purpose and command, unlike some other leading American male dancers who don't seem to realize they're on stage in front of an audience. How long were you in the ABT Studio Company?

David: One year, and then I was taken into the main Company.

Finis: And how did you feel about it?

David: When I first got in, I was 19, and I was obsessed with trying to be seen. Coming from the lStudio Company, which had only 12 dancers, I felt like a little fish in the big ocean. It was so interesting to learn how the company worked, because it was very different from being in high school, and being in the studio company.

Finis: How so?

David: You know, you have to work very hard, of course, because being in a ballet company requires a very demanding work ethic. In rehearsal periods, you're working seven hours a day. In performance periods, you're rehearsing four or five hours a day, and then performing until 11 PM. It was so interesting for me to observe, up close, how other dancers reacted to the heavy work schedule.

You really have to start being conscious of your body, and what it needs. You need to take care of yourself, so you don't get injured or suffer strains. There's nothing worse for a dancer than being unhealthy, and unable to respond to the demands of the job.

In the Studio Company, we all danced in every ballet, so we were very energetic, ready to take on the world. But in the main company, it wasn't like that. You're standing in the back, learning peasant dances, or a mazurka with the whole corps de ballet. So to speak, you're learning at the bottom of the totem pole. But what is interesting, as I reflect on it now, is that it all turned into a process for me. I wasn't just going to just get into the company and become a star, although it does happen. It's different for each dancer.

Finis: Most of us start at the bottom. The first thing I did in The Joffrey was the rake dance in La Fille mal Gardée.

David: Being in the corps is very nerve-wracking. Your first couple of performances are probably the scariest you'll ever experience, because you think the artistic staff and the audience are only watching you, and waiting for you to screw up and fail. You think they're all just waiting to see if you can do it. But once those few performances pass, it gets a little easier, and you start to grow with your roles, and become more comfortable, and confident. And slowly that's when bigger roles start to occur. Casting comes up, and you're learning a soloist role, or understudying a principal role.

Finis: How soon did that happen for you?

David: My first big thing was Benno in Swan Lake, after I had been in the company for six months. I did the pas de trois in the 1st act.

Finis: That was pretty quick! Were you surprised, or did you feel you were ready to be given a chance?

David: Well, at first, watching dancers such as Angel Corella and Jose Manuel Carreno, I couldn't see myself dancing the way they did. They are such strong bravura dancers. As time passed, and I performed more and more, I started getting feedback from the artistic staff and people who came to the ballet and talked to me after performances; some people said I reminded them of Erik Bruhn, or a young Peter Martins. I certainly hadn't had them in mind when I was dancing! At ABT, it is very rare, I feel, to see a lyrical danseur noble. And that is actually where I feel the most comfortable. I love to watch the dancers do Basilio in Don Q, and The Slave in Corsaire, but I don't think of myself doing those roles. I think I'm more suited to Sigfried in Swan Lake, or Prince Désiré in Sleeping Beauty.

Finis: Not that you're not capable to doing bravura work, which you so aptly demonstrated in Grand Pas. Is it a matter of how you like to move, or is it the dramatic element?

David: I think it's a way of approaching the piece, the way you carry yourself on stage. When I dance Grand Pas, although it is considered a bravura showpiece, I think of The Paris Opera Ballet, because they demonstrate such beautiful restrained technique, purity of line, and elegant movement.

Finis: That explains a lot about why you look the way you do, and what makes you very different from other male dancers. What have been some of the highlights in your career?

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