David: I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning the roles I've done. When I was preparing for The Erik Bruhn Competition with Michele Wiles, we learned Grand Pas Classique and the bedroom pas de deux from Manon. Luckily, we had a good amount of time to prepare – about 3 months. Kevin McKenzie (the Director of ABT) really took the time to prepare us well, and explained certain details that I would never have gotten on my own. And, also fortunately, Anthony Dowell was setting The Dream at that point, and he coached Michele and me on Manon.

Finis: Dowell was such a beautiful dancer! I can still see him bowing and smiling so graciously in front of the gold curtain at The Met.

David: In a sense I tried to copy what he did, since he was one of the originators in Manon. I felt there could be no better way to get the true essence of that dance. At first, it was all very technical advice: "put Michele here," or "the line is better if you do this," etc. But once we got over the technical difficulties, then it became all about the artistry and what we were feeling. It's a very, very passionate pas de deux, and, for us, it was one of our first love duets -- love kiss included. (laughter) We actually had to learn how to stage kiss. You're puffy, and sweaty, in the studio, concentrating on the steps, so it's not foremost on your mind. But after about three weeks of both of us avoiding the kiss, Kevin finally said, "You know, we have to rehearse this at some point!"

Finis: (laughter) Well, you two obviously did it the right way, because you won so many accolades at The Erik Bruhn Competition!

David: (laughter) That process was kind of the first sense I had of what I could learn from great dancers. It went on from there. I was cast for Symphony in C, 1st Movement, and that's when I started partnering famous ballerinas like Paloma Herrera, Irina Dvorovenko, and Gillian Murphy.

Finis: Were you scared?

David: Scared, no. Intimidated, yes. It really turned into my doing exactly what they told me to do. Things were different for each dancer. I just tried to take care of their every need while we were dancing together. I remember Irina recognizing the fact that this was one of my first big roles, and my first time dancing with her, and I really felt like she took certain responsibility in teaching me how to work with a ballerina. Once the performance came, I had to calm my nerves, convince myself that I was prepared, and just go out and dance it. There are always things that go wrong in performance, it's never perfect, but that's the excitement of live performance.

Finis: What's the worst that's ever happened to you on stage?

David: Knock on wood, I've never fallen. I just remember small instances. For instance, in Act IV of Swan Lake, in Chicago, where Michele and I made our debuts, I was so into this big dramatic moment that I ran too close to her, and I somehow stepped on her foot and slipped on her pointe shoe. That was weird! It's times like that when you're somehow brought back into reality.

Finis: (laughter). How did it feel to do a full length, four act ballet?

David: To tell you the truth, there's nothing like doing a full length ballet. Physically, and emotionally, you're involved 125%. My previous experience with Swan was when I did the pas de trois in the 1st act, and then in the 2nd act there's basically nothing. But for Sigfried, the 1st act is something, the 2nd act builds, the 3rd act is the Black Swan pas de deux , and the 4th act is the culmination of a 2 -1/2 hour ballet, where you end up committing suicide . . . it's such a fulfilling experience.

Finis: Not to mention that glorious music. What kind of feedback did you get?

David: Very positive. The Artistic Staff of ABT told Michele and I that we made a very nice debut. And actually Kevin set up a rehearsal a week after we performed, to fine tune things and to give us feedback on details he had seen. It was very, very helpful to have that rehearsal after the performance.

Finis: How did you feel about your performance? How was it stamina wise?

David: It was very, very hard. I think Michele and I were in the same boat, because once the 1st and 2nd acts were over, we were asking ourselves if we could actually finish this ballet, because when your adrenalin is going at such a level, you don't think of saving anything. Since it was our first Swan, we didn't know how to pace ourselves. But somehow, we pulled it together and finished the 3rd and 4th acts as we were supposed to. It was a very emotional experience for both of us. For us, as partners, we hit a new level that we hadn't experienced before.

Finis: How so?

David: It was the whole process of preparing for such a big ballet. We rehearsed intensively for four months. And then there's the performance, with the costumes, the emotions, and actually experiencing onstage the sense of knowing each other's feelings.

Finis: By this time, were the technical demands of the solos very easy and natural and not a worry for you?

David: Yes, because during the rehearsal periods, we had worked out all the kinks. Fortunately, I remember Kevin saying a very important thing: "Once you go on stage and you're so into your character, the technical aspects aren't worrisome, and they more or less just happen. You are Sigfried, and you're not worrying about doing 5 pirouettes at the end of your variation.

Finis: And did you?

David: Worry? No. Can I say I don't count my pirouettes? (laughter) The 5 pirouettes didn't happen, but for some reason I was happy. It's not all about the pirouettes for me.

Finis: Well, you're right. It takes more than turns to make a performance. So, now (after you & Michele make your quick trip to Moscow, Russia, to dance Grand Pas) you are about to have a season at The Met. What are you working on?

David: My debuts are the new full length Raymonda, (and I do most of my dancing with Michele) and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. I'll also be doing Theme & Variations, Swan Lake, and solo roles in other ballets.

Finis: What do you make of Tchai Pas?

David: I feel it's such an exciting piece of music. It's so uplifting, it's a real showcase piece. It's very technical, in a sense, but also the kind of pas de deux where you can just go out there and entertain the audience. I'll be doing that with Michele. I think she brings a certain youthful excitement to the audience, and I love to feed off of that.

Finis: Yes, you two are very lucky to have each other. You both have such beautiful, long line, plus exceptional technique and artistry. And, you both have the verve of youth, where you're not afraid to show how much you love to dance and perform. That's why audiences love you. At this point in your career, what are you aiming for?

David: I've had to learn to take things step by step. It's as I explained before, it's a process. It's a heavy learning process that for me is best taken role by role, step by step. So now that I have my first Sigfried under my belt, I want to go on from there, and work on my other roles.

Finis: How do you do that?

David: It starts with learning the steps completely. And then fine tuning them, getting the kinks out with your partner, with your variation. Once the steps are there, and I feel like I have a certain grasp of what the choreography is, and what it demands, it's time to search for the character. And that includes, I think, getting as much feedback from as many dancers who have danced that role. For instance, I've talked a lot with Kevin about Sigfried. Guilliame Graffin has also been very helpful. Videos help me tremendously. I've looked at Malakhov, Nureyev, and Misha in Swan Lake and studied how each of them took the role.

Once I feel like I have seen enough, and heard enough, there comes a point when I feel I have to make it my own. I can't copy anyone else. I may like something that someone did, but if it doesn't look good on me, then obviously I can't do that on stage. And that basically leads up to the performance. Once I get to the theatre, I feel the stage, the surroundings, I involve myself in the work, in the ballet, in the story. Not to say that the process is probably going to be very different when I do my second Swan Lake, because although I've learned the choreography, I'm sure certain things will change with my characterization, based on artistic choices I've made on what I either liked or didn't like in the first performance.

Finis: Good. You are a thinking dancer!

David: (Laughter) Fortunately, and unfortunately!

Finis: David, I think you're going to enjoy a fabulous career and bring great joy to audiences everywhere. Keep it up, and thank you!