Kristen Gallagher
Kristen Gallagher (Artistic Assistant) has been the Artistic Assistant to The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since the fall of 2007 and has danced with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since 1999. Born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, she danced with Richmond Ballet from 1989 until 2003, where she also served as Rehearsal Assistant. As a dancer, Ms. Gallagher was known for her versatility. Her most noted roles include Myrtha in Giselle, the Partisan in Kurt Joos' The Green Table, and a leading role in John Butler's Carmina Burana. Ms. Gallagher has also danced principal roles in 20th century classics such as George Balanchine's Serenade, Jose Limón's The Moors Pavane, Agnes de Mille's Rodeo, and Antony Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas to name a few. She performed soloist roles in Balanchine's Apollo, Divertimento No. 15, and Raymonda Variations with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. She has staged ballets by choreographer Val Caniparoli for Aspen Ballet Company and Cincinnati Ballet. Ms. Gallagher has been a guest teacher all over the east coast and currently teaches in Richmond.
You have been with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet since its inception. How have you seen the company evolve over the past nine years?
We started as a small group, and with the direction of Ms. Farrell, we have grown into a company that is now compared to the likes of big companies throughout the U.S. We have toured nationally and internationally and our repertoire has grown immensely, including Balanchine ballets exclusive to our company. A few years ago, Ms. Farrell started a unique project called The Balanchine Preservation Initiative. It brings back obscure Balanchine ballets that have not been seen for thirty or forty years. This has definitely been an exciting project for the company and our audiences.
How has your role changed within the company?
After dancing with the company for 8 years, I now help Ms. Farrell teach and rehearse our repertoire as the company's Artistic Assistant. It was very flattering for Ms. Farrell to promote me to this position and I was very excited about the opportunity. Initially, I wasn't sure how the dancers were going to feel about taking direction from me but everyone was very supportive which helped make the transition seamless. Now that it has been a few years, I feel that this position is a perfect fit for me and I'm being utilized at my best.
What do you enjoy most about being Ms. Farrell's Artistic Assistant?
I enjoy working closely with Ms. Farrell and the flexibility she gives me to carry out my job responsibilities. I love learning and sharing her experiences about all the wonderful ballets Balanchine created. I also love coming to work at the Kennedy Center because it is such a special place. In addition, I truly enjoy being able to work with the dancers who have been co-workers and close friends of mine for a long time.
What are the biggest challenges of your job?
Each ballet that I help to teach offers its own unique challenges. That's what makes it fun. One example of a big challenge was putting together a section from Pas Classique Espagnol from Don Quixote (a Balanchine Preservation Initiative ballet) using a video with no sound and a boom box playing a synthesized version of the score. It was like a big puzzle that I had to piece together. I was able to figure out the steps and the phrasing before we got to the studio but there were some gaps that needed to be filled. When the conductor (Ron Matson) came into the rehearsal, we were able to look at the score together and he helped me fill in the blanks. It eventually all came together and watching the performance was like putting that last puzzle piece in place. I felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Is there a piece that you have particularly enjoyed teaching to the company?
It is very difficult to pick a particular piece because there are so many factors that make dancing or teaching them enjoyable. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue was a lot of fun to teach because the music is so great, the dancing is lighthearted, and the dancers can really let their personalities show through. When dancing, you enjoy whatever ballet you are working on at the time. You live in the moment. The same has applied to teaching a ballet.
What is the biggest reward in your career?
Each day of a dancer's life is filled with rewards big and small. From doing a perfectly placed pirouette in class, to accomplishing a difficult role, or taking that curtain call at the end of a performance. On a larger scale, one of the biggest rewards of my career was auditioning for Suzanne Farrell the very first year and being asked to join the company for the first tour in 1999. I look back and realize that moment really changed my life as a dancer immensely. That was the beginning of our almost ten year relationship. I felt like I took my technique to a new level and explored new things that I had never done before. But now, being asked to be her Artistic Assistant has been the greatest reward. I still can be very closely involved in something I love to do. And the best part is that this position has no age limit!
What do you like to do outside of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet?
I enjoy traveling with my husband, especially to our favorite place, St. Barth's in the Caribbean, where we got married. Right now, our new favorite activity is enjoying our time with our first child, Salinne, who was born on March 12, 2009.
