Fluttering arms, aching calves, bursting lungs: 'Swan Lake' is a ballerina's Mount Everest
Rehearsing 'Swan Lake' a few weeks ago in a sweaty studio, trying to iron out some last-minute kinks, ballerina Unity Phelan stopped just before launching into the famed 32 fouettés — those crowd-pleasing whiplash turns on one leg performed by Odile, the devious Black Swan.
'No fouettés today — save them for tonight,' directed Phelan's coach at New York City Ballet, Kathleen Tracey. Dancer and coach agreed: preserving Phelan's precious leg muscles took priority over rehearsing the fiendishly difficult move.
Phelan was a few hours away from performing the dual role of Odette and Odile for the second time, four days after her debut. It's a goal she'd had since childhood. Achieving it at age 30 was a bucket-list moment like no other — witnessed by friends, family, 'all of New Jersey' (her home state) and a few thousand others.
It was also probably the most physically challenging feat of her career.
Many across the world know 'Swan Lake,' the most iconic of all ballets. Far fewer know just how hard the main ballerina role is to perform. As graceful and ephemeral as it appears, Odette-Odile is a dancer's Mount Everest, requiring stellar technique, prodigious training, uncommon stamina, emotional resilience — and even carbo-loading.
The ballerina dances virtually nonstop for 2 ½ hours, with a quick intermission for refueling. The toughest part comes toward the end — when she's most tired, of course — with trickster Odile unleashing a dazzling display as she misleads the prince in a tragedy of mistaken identity. Even before she gets to the dastardly fouettés — the word means 'whipped' in French — the dancer has to huff and puff just to make the entrance.
There's 'hardly enough time to get to the back wing, and then you're back out,' Phelan explains. 'You're so exhausted and you have to run back out and keep going.' So exhausted that at dress rehearsal, she remarked to another dancer as she raced to her entrance: 'Man, I'm questioning all my life choices right now!'
She was kidding, of course. Phelan was one of three lucky NYCB ballerinas tapped to debut the role this past season, a new generation of swan queens discovering the ecstasy and the agony in one of ballet's toughest gigs.
You can't give up on yourself
For Mira Nadon, swan queen glory has arrived early, at 23. The fast-rising ballet star became a principal dancer in 2023, the first Asian American female principal in the company. Her wunderkind reputation was only enhanced with her debut as Odette-Odile this season, which had many in the audience marveling at her technique and artistry.
Nadon, like Phelan, says the role was always her dream — not that she thought it would come so soon.
'Of all the full-length ballets,' Nadon said in an interview, 'this is the one that I most identify with, and really hoped to get to do one day.'
Even in the rarefied air of being a principal at a top company, it's not a given that you get to dance a role like this. NYCB ballerina Sara Mearns famously got the part at 19, when she was still in the corps de ballet, and continued to dance it this season, along with fellow longtime star Tiler Peck. But many never get the chance. The last time the company ran its full-length 'Swan Lake, choreographed by Peter Martins, was five years ago, just before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. A later run was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
So Nadon was thrilled when she was told in the fall that she'd be donning the swan feathers. During the busy 'Nutcracker' run over the holidays, she began working with her coach, Rebecca Krohn, to learn the steps and 'have them settle into my body.' It is that muscle memory, dancers say, that often saves them when things are tough. And like any athlete, Nadon spent the season building up stamina so that it would be at peak form for 'Swan Lake.'
Even so, the role was a challenge.
'You have to accept that you will be tired, and you just have to push through it and trust yourself,' she says. 'Because when you have something that is so taxing, it's a little bit mental. You can't give up on yourself. You have to really believe that you can do it.'
Your mind wants you to stop
It was that very self-belief that Miriam Miller says she had to fight for.
'I kind of thought it was off the table, like I wasn't really going down that route,' says Miller, 28, who became a principal just weeks before her 'Swan Lake' debut. She said she never saw herself as a great turner, or able to master some of the Black Swan's tricky footwork.
'It has every single ballet step in the book,' Miller says of the iconic ballet. 'In White Swan, it's so delicate and we strive to be perfectly placed and thoughtful about all the in-between steps … so that takes a different effort,' she says. 'Then you have 25 minutes (for intermission), you have to do a quick change, you have to change your shoes, you have to eat, you have to just kind of reset.'
And that's just the physical part.
'It takes a lot of mental strength and self-awareness,' Miller adds. 'You're fully depleting yourself in every single way.'
Somehow, she triumphed over her own doubts, and sounded exhilarated the morning after her debut, despite the throbbing muscles.
'It's hard sometimes to go out onstage and not let your mind take over,' Miller says. 'Our bodies are inherently lazy and our mind is also lazy, and so it wants to tell you. 'Stop, you're exhausted, just give up.' If there is something I'm proud about, it's that I didn't let those thoughts interfere with the performance.'
Carbo-loading, electrolytes, bananas and protein bars
Miller laughs when hearing the anecdote that actor Natalie Portman, prepping for her 'Black Swan' movie role, subsisted on carrots and almonds to get in ballerina shape.
In real life, dancing that role without serious fueling? 'She would have been dead on the floor,' Miller said.
To fuel her own body, Miller carbo-loaded like a marathoner and took electrolytes and energy supplements ahead of the performance. During the show itself, she snacked on a peanut butter protein bar and a banana. For Nadon, it was a sandwich beforehand, then electrolytes, yogurt and a banana during intermission.
For Phelan, it was half a banana during the break, plus packing in carbs and protein the day before and remembering to eat well on performance day, a marathon that began with morning class and then rehearsal, attended as always by her cavalier King Charles spaniel, Pippin.
'You're nervous, so you're not very hungry,' Phelan says. 'But you have to make sure you eat because otherwise, you won't have anything in you to help.'
Whatever they ate, it worked. Now, they're left with memories like the moment the lights went up during curtain calls and Phelan could finally make out some faces.
'It was completely full, people were standing and I was hit with a wave of, 'Oh my God, there were 2,500 people watching this! And they liked it.''
And they're left with something else, too. Aches, everywhere.
'I've definitely never been this exhausted after a show,' quips Miller.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
2 hours ago
- Time Out
World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Odette at the National Gallery Singapore ranks 25th globally
We got a little taste of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list earlier this month, when the extended 51–100 rankings were released, and yes, local favourites made the cut. Burnt Ends, known for its modern Australian barbecue, and contemporary Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth secured spots 93 and 97 respectively. Now, the full list is out – and Odette has once again earned its place among the world's culinary elite. The elegant French restaurant, tucked within the National Gallery Singapore, comes in at number 25 this year. No stranger to the top 50, Odette has consistently appeared on the list since 2018, though it slips slightly from last year's 24th place. Helmed by chef Julien Royer, Odette is named after his grandmother, whose influence can be seen in his personal approach to French cuisine. While rooted in classic techniques, the menu carries subtle Asian flair, a nod to Chef Julien's time in the region. The restaurant's muted, light-toned interiors exude a sense of calm and quiet luxury, while the extensive wine list and impeccable service complete the dining experience. Here are the top 10 restaurants in the world in 2025: Maido (Lima) Asador Etxebaarri (Atxondo) Quintonil (Mexico City) Diverxo (Madrid) Alchemist (Copenhagen) Gaggan (Bangkok) Sézanne (Tokyo) Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris) Kjolle (Lima) Don Junio (Buenos Aires) View the full list here. Find out more about Odette here.
Edinburgh Live
21 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Antiques Roadshow guests 'not allowed' to do one thing which could ruin the show
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Antiques Roadshow participant was taken aback by a strict rule on set, and the valuations of her items also left her surprised. The moment occurred during the filming of the American version of the popular BBC programme. Journalist Jennifer Kopf had the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming series filmed at Grant's Farm in St. Louis. The Country Living writer brought along a framed silhouette and blue glass lamps, keen to learn their value. She explained that depending on the category of your item, you end up consulting with an expert appraiser from that field in a designated area 'spread out all across the grounds'. To prevent any spoilers from leaking, she disclosed that there was one rule she had to adhere to while on set. Jennifer penned for the magazine: "Set up in between were three different filming 'studios' with those famous tables arranged for the big-time appraisals." (Image: Anna Gordon/BBC/PA Wire) I wasn't allowed to tape anything happening on set so as not to take away anything from the big reveals come air time. "Unfortunately, her items didn't fetch the price she had hoped for, with her framed silhouette fetching a modest $25 to $ what really stung was the disappointing valuation of the lamps. Jennifer admitted: "$15 a piece. I have to admit, this hurt a little. But I still love my lamps and will find a perfect spot for them soon". (Image: BBC) This follows another Antiques Roadshow episode where a guest was left astounded after a family ring, long assumed to be inexpensive costume jewellery, turned out to be rare and valuable. An emerald piece has fetched a price far beyond its anticipated value. The astonishing discovery was made during an episode first aired in October 2022 and rebroadcast on Sunday, 15 June. Expert John Benjamin left one family utterly gobsmacked. The guests, two cousins, brought along a trove of inherited heirlooms passed down through the generations. Among the items were a gold novelty pencil, a decorative brooch featuring a fly on a flower, and the green stone ring that became the focus of attention. Discussing the provenance of the pieces, the guests disclosed that many belonged to their great-great-great grandmother, born in 1858. One item, a pencil shaped like a mountaineer's ice pick, bore the names of French mountains. The most startling revelation concerned the green stone ring, which the family had always believed to be costume jewellery. Benjamin valued the ring at a staggering £4,000. In total, the collection was estimated to fetch around £7,000 at auction. Antiques Roadshow can be viewed on BBC One and iPlayer.
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh celebrity chef reveals how he deals with 'difficult customers'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh celebrity chef who has served members of the royal family has revealed how he deals with "difficult customers" after years in the restaurant industry. Tom Kitchin runs The Kitchen, a Michelin-starred eatery in Leith, serving gourmet British cuisine inspired by French cooking techniques. The celebrity chef also operates The Scran & Scallie in Edinburgh and Bonnie Badger in Gullane. Another eatery, Kora, previously on Bruntsfield Place, closed earlier this year. Tom has even launched a frozen food line available in Home Bargains. He and his wife Michaela run the restaurants and Tom recently shared what makes the Kitchin so successful. In a video posted to his Instagram, Tom shared tips and tricks on running his Edinburgh culinary empire, including details on some of the celebrities that have passed through the doors. He also opened up on how to deal with "difficult" customers. Tom shared a memorable moment from when he and Michaela first launched The Kitchen. He said: "The one thing I always remember is that first time Michaela took the phone and she said 'I'm very sorry, we're full. Would you like to be put on the waiting list?' That was a big moment." When asked his favourite person that had been in the restaurant, Tom said: "We've had royals, we've had movie stars, we've had David Beckham, all sorts of people. But really I'm a football man and when Kenny Dalglish offered to pull the first pint in our pub, that for me was really the best." Tom also revealed how he and Mikaela deal with more unruly diners. He said: "How did we deal with difficult customers when we first started? That was really difficult for me. Fortunately, I had Mikaela with me who is very good at dealing with difficult customers and she'd go out and fix it for me. The Kitchin, located at 78 Commercial Quay in Leith, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm–2:30pm and 6pm–10pm. You can find more information about the restaurant here. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community her eand get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
