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" I love the dancers in the Bolshoi, but all of my Moscow friends are outside the company. A friend introduced me to Vika Gazinskaya, a well-known Russian designer. I met her group. The rest is history. "

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" When I went to Moscow, I felt I was relearning Swan Lake - which was written for the Bolshoi - and being immersed in a tradition and history I had never experienced. It took a while to adjust to living there and learning the language, but now I have lots of friends. I get the best of two completely different worlds. "

David Hallberg

History

Best

Friends

" Ballet needs figures that people can recognize and relate to. People don't know ballet dancers as well as they know other artists. "

" I've been interested in art and fashion for as long as I can remember because they are so visual. I am fascinated by the idea of visual creation from the ground up, which is a challenge in ballet when the audience has seen every show of yours, every other principal that you've shared a role with, and every different production. "

" Because of the way I'm built, I constantly have to strengthen. This is sort of a ritual: I put on my tights first, and right when I'm about to put on my costume, I get down on the floor, and I plank. "

" I've always questioned the way dancers, myself included, must do the same role year in and year out. It's important for me to be able to say to myself, 'O.K., I don't want to be a prince anymore. I want to put on a leather jockstrap and pose.' "

David Hallberg

Always

Myself

" New York at times runs me dry because there's so much to do. There's never enough time to do everything. It's nice to have the balance in Moscow. "

" Every company has its own texture, vocabulary, and singular place in dance history, and I have always wanted to share my perspective of these world renowned institutions. "

" I'll never be satisfied in classical ballet. It'll never be good enough. I'll never be happy with most of my product. "

" I sew my own shoes. Other male dancers don't, but I like it one way, and I've learned to do it that way. "

" Certainly, when you train as a classical dancer, you are very much influenced by 'Giselle.' You see it all the time; you start to learn the steps a little. "

" Many dancers are content with the repertoire they're given. Others are dissatisfied but don't know why. Then there are a few like me that are curious and grab at everything. Can that curiosity thrive in the ballet world, or should it exist elsewhere? That's the eternal question. "

David Hallberg

Know

Why

" Russians are very discerning about ballet. They're very opinionated about what classical ballet is. "

" With Bolshoi technique, the movements are quite large, the jumps are big, and I'm a tall dancer, so I've learned to use my height more, to elongate my moves, jumps and positions. I'm physically using my body more to my advantage. "

" Bejart is almost never performed in New York City; critically, he just gets attacked here. "

" The Bolshoi style is bigger and more emotional, in a way that I love. It has the freshness and intensity that is like what I've tried to achieve in my dance-acting roles. "

" I stopped acting Romeo and just became Romeo. "

" Having done so many versions, I never felt like an artist in 'Swan Lake.' "

" When stress sets in, and pressure, I focus. "

" Ballet is certainly appreciated in New York, but it has been a part of the Russian culture, history and heritage for hundreds of years, so it's much more instilled in the Russian blood. "

" No one around me was obsessed with Fred Astaire except for me. It just snowballed, really. I started with tap lessons. When I didn't have tap shoes, I taped nickels on the bottom of my penny loafers. "

David Hallberg

Just

Bottom

" Ballet is incestuous. This world is smaller than small. "

" Every company has its style, and that's what makes the Bolshoi so impressive: their attack on jumps or their attack on choreography. "

" There are certainly some artists in New York that I would love to work with. One is Sarah Michelson. "

" If I can relay anything, it's that if someone has a dream, and it isn't the norm of what others are doing around you, it doesn't matter. Reach for it. Go for it - because I'm a shining example of that. "

" I have one coach and one coach only. His name is Alexander Vetrov. They brought him in for me when I joined the Bolshoi. He was a dancer with the Bolshoi, and we work very intensely together. "

David Hallberg

Together

Coach

" I walk like a duck: very straight up and down. Or like a penguin. It's a dead giveaway that I'm a dancer. "

David Hallberg

Dead

Duck

" To be honest, my partner Natasha is my inspiration. She is who I reference when searching for my role. I don't emulate what she does, but her interpretation of Giselle is so fragile and sensitive and so tender. It constantly inspires me. And I feel like it's the other way around. We have a great rapport together. "

" I think I'm the same dancer everywhere. But I've learned a lot with Bolshoi - the history of the theater, the technique of the theater, different nuances in my technique. "

" I will never stop questioning. I will never stop wanting more and discovering other things and wanting to do other things. That will always be a part of me, and it's something I've come to terms with. "

David Hallberg

Never

Always