Growing up in NYC, I saw many Performances of New York City Ballet. I was always in the cheap seats, but I was screaming bravo! I am a big fan. Craig is one of my favorite NYCB dancers. He has such a presence on stage and he is one hell of a partner! I love to see him flawlessly manipulate the ballerinas. Somehow the way he does it is special. Now that I think about it… I don’t think I ever saw a Show of NYCB Craig Hall wasn’t in. That dark skin is hard to miss and he is great to watch.

Craig is someone I have known for a long time, But I only met him a few years ago. I went to high School across the street from the NYCB Studios at Lincoln Center and I would always see the dancers in passing on the street. I would see Craig ALL the time! And like a proper fan, I acted like I didnt see him, and played it really cool if we happened to make eye contact…you know. This went on for 4 years. Then I got into Juilliard which put me directly in Lincoln Center and my Craig Hall sightings tripled. One day I worked up the courage to give him a head nod as if to say…hey… He nodded back as if to say hey back… this went on for a few years. Then came good morning and so forth.

I moved to Europe and I always felt like I missed my chance to meet a great artist. Years later when I came back to NYC for vacation, guess who I saw in Nancy Bielski’s class at Steps? It was a treat to be in class with him! He looked great! My homegirl Annika saw me watching and said “Do you know Craig?” I replied “only through the “NYC-black-male-dancer-phenomenon.” It turns out she knows him from her Chicago days and she introduced us. FINALLY! Thank you Annika.

Craig  was born in Maywood, Illinois. He began his dance training at the age of four at Stairway of the Stars with Lois Baumann. At age 14, he began studying with Anna Paskevska at the Chicago Academy of the Arts. He also studied at the Ruth Page Dance Foundation with Larry Long. Craig entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, full time in the fall of 1997. While a student at the School of American Ballet, he originated a featured role in Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes De Ballet, which premiered during New York City Ballet’s 1999 spring season. In October 1999, Craig became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in February 2000.

In May 2007, Craig was promoted to soloist. Since joining NYCB, he has danced featured roles in George Balanchine’s Agon, Apollo, Episodes, The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker (Tea, Candy Cane), Serenade, La Sonnambula, Western Symphony; Angelin Preljocaj’s La Stravaganza; Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, The Cage, Fanfare, Glass Pieces; Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain, DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, Liturgy. Roles were also created on him by Mario Bigonzetti, Jiri Bubenicek, Eliot Feld, Jorma Elo, Robert La Fosse, Douglas Lee, Peter Martins, Wayne McGregor, Benjamin Millepied, Justin Peck, and Lynne Taylor-Corbett.

His film work includes Columbia Pictures’ feature film Center Stage and the film NY EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ, a scripted adaptation of the Jerome Robbins ballet of the same name, which aired on PBS and won an Audience Award at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival. He was also featured in the first season of the AOL web series city.ballet.

Seeing Craig on stage in a major ballet company was a huge influence on this Young dancer. Naturally I see the dancers who look like me. When I saw him there, I knew it was possible. I approached my classical training as if one day I could be in a ballet company…Even today I still take class that way. Thank you Craig for your inspiration!


When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to do what you’re doing now?

I always wanted to dance, it may sound a little corny, but I knew at 5 or 6 being on stage performing is was what I wanted to do. I thought it was so cool dressing up and being someone different.


 Craig’s Favorite Things


 Favorite Things to eat?

Seafood, pizza, and chocolate cake

Favorite Books?

I love historical fiction. My favorite is a book called Forever by Pete Hamil. A guy is granted eternal life, but he must remain on Manhattan Island. Kinda sounds like a nightmare, but it’s amazing.

Favorite Movies?

Growing up, my sister and I loved Stand By Me. We watched it all the time. And I should be ashamed, but I know every line of Showgirls. So good!

Favorite Dance Piece or Show/Musical or both?

Ballet: The Four Temperaments. It’s one piece I could watch over and over.
Musical: A Chorus Line. I listened to soundtrack a million times. It made me want to move to NYC.


I like dancers who

Aren’t scared to take chances. We’re constantly judging ourselves and doubting what we can do, it’s nice to see people who just go for it and dance.


 I am afraid of

The dance afterlife. A little bit. I’ve spent so many years doing this life. There’s so much that could happen after this career ends, the unknown can be very scary.


 A dance piece should

Move you in some way. Like any art, it should make you think and stir up some emotion inside. A piece that you’re indifferent about is a failure in my eyes.


Something you like to do other than dancing?

I love taking pictures of people. Dancers, people on the subway (especially sleeping), occasionally myself. Capturing moments and looking back on them makes me incredibly happy.


 One of the happiest moments in your life?

Getting married. I know married people always say this, but your wedding day is the most amazing day of your life. Marrying my husband in front of all my friends and family was the greatest moment I think I’ve ever had. I want to do it again, but with the same person of course.


 One of your most unusual or coolest experiences?

Dancing Afternoon of A Faun first the time with Janie Taylor. It was a total out-of-body experience, almost like a first kiss. We finished and were both like what just happened. I’ve been in sync with my partners before on stage, but never like that. Truly an incredible experience.


 One of the most embarrassing moments in your professional career?

Spraining my ankle onstage and thinking I could continue dancing on in. It was in the Robbins ballet Brandenburg. My partner knew I had hurt myself and told me to go offstage, but for some reason I thought I was fine even though I was noticeably limping around. I think I eventually hobbled off after five minutes or so. It was a bad sprain too and I was out for the rest of the season. Dancers do some weird things.


 Who has been the most influential person/people in your life? or Career?

Jock Soto was a big influence in my career. He was my teacher at the School of American Ballet and taught me so much about partnering. He gave us the tools and imagination to really turn dancing with a ballerina into something special. He killed us everyday with push-ups before and after class, and gave us the stuff he danced onstage, but also taught us that partnering was so much more than just throwing the woman in the air. They were the most beautiful pieces of jewelry and it was our job to display them in the right light. You had to be strong and at the same time delicate. You had to make the ballerina comfortable, no matter how uncomfortable you felt. And there was a relationship going on between you both, you had to have a connection with your partner. He made us very strong, technical partners so we could just worry about the story once we got onstage. I was very lucky to see him perform with some pretty incredible ballerinas. I tried to copy what he did and I feel very confident about my partnering skills because of him. Thanks Jock!


 One of the hardest things about your job?

Staying focused. Like I said before, you’re constantly critiquing yourself and others are do you same, it’s part of the business. Sometimes it’s hard to stay confident and positive with yourself. There are days you can’t handle things so well, but I try to go back to the basics and remember why I started dancing in the first place. We are lucky to get the opportunity to express ourselves onstage and in the studio and do what we love, but sometimes it is a job. It’s work, and work can be hard and depressing.


 Do you have any goals you still wish to achieve?

I think dancing professionally for almost 15 years is a pretty big goal. Of course at times things haven’t gone my way or I wanted to dance a certain things that I haven’t, but I’ve achieved a lot and am happy with what’s happened in my dance career so far. Dancing Apollo again before I stop dancing would be nice!


 A question you want to know the answer to:

Why aren’t artists paid as much as athletes?


 Dear aspiring artists,

If you love it, go for it because this is a short career and you want to make as much of it as you can.

–Craig Hall

Photo Journal


 

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Have you worked with Craig? Help me say thank you by sharing your stories in the comments below. Thank YOU for reading!


 

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