Media interviews: Olga Smirnova, Joy Womack, Misty Copeland, Susan Jaffe

The New York Times published an interview article with Olga Smirnova, Principal of the Dutch National Ballet, on 3rd April 2025.

A large part of the article was about Lady Macbeth, which was due to world-premiere three days later with Smirnova as the title role, and how her international career was expanding. However, it also casted a light on the personal side of her. Apparently, She has not seen her parents since she left the Bolshoi Theater in Russia soon after the war in Ukraine broke out. They did not understand why she decided to so. Still, she told the newspaper she felt comfortable with the Dutch National Ballet.

For the full article, click here. (subscription required)

The Pointe magazine published an interview with Joy Womack on 1st April 2025 as she has just published a new book, Behind the Red Velvet Curtain (Rowman & Littlefield Press), written in collaboration with journalist Elizabeth Shockman.

Womack, the first American dancer to join the Bolshoi Ballet, now lives in Paris, France, as a freelance ballerina.

For a full interview, click here.

World Economic Forum's Meet The Leader podcast spoke with Misty Copeland, Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and, as the podcast introduced her as, an activist.

In an about 28 minute interview, Copeland passionately talked about the Misty Copeland Foundation and her free after-school programme. She also said how important it was for a leader to identify potential in children and help them to unlock it.

For the podcast dated 31 March 2025, click here.

Actor Alec Baldwin chatted with Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of ABT and a former principal of the company for 22 years, in his Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin podcast episode dated 8th April 2025.

Jaffe said when she watched the recording of the famous pas de deux, in which she replaced Gelsey Kirkland (she was 18 years old then and did not name Kirkland in the podcast), years later, she saw quality in her dancing and thought Mikhail Baryshnikov, who singled her out, was right.

Jaffe also said that she would smoke like a chimney to stay skinny and always feel under-fueled, and that how happy she was to be back at the ABT, and how ballet has regained audience in theatre after the COVID pandemic, outpacing opera.

Quite an interesting interview. Have a listen by clicking here. You can also read the transcript quickly.