Finis Jhung Workshops

Finis: I often say in class, "You look like what you do." I think that's what Robert Gottleib was referring to, when he said your "every movement and gesture is full, and felt."

Robert: Yes, many times people who have just been to see performances of the major companies will come up to us and tell us that they prefer to see what we are doing...

Finis: Does Olga have a special persona?

Robert: As I put on Olga's make up and prepare for the performance, I begin to enter a different world. When I'm dancing a role that Olga is interpreting, I develop a different mind set. I see Olga as being fastidiously delicate and pretty. I am a forceful dancer, but I love working on being pretty. I enjoy putting on my makeup, and it starts to change my energy, it prepares me to become Olga on stage. It is a very important time for me.

Finis: It's a very important time for every performer. Sadly, many performers today don't have a clue about preparing for the performance. They just are always themselves, dull as dishwater and without an ounce of magic.

Robert: But it's the whole package, isn't it? I take open classes and often see a lot of dancers who are appearing with major companies, and I can't help but think that there's something lost. A lot of dancing looks very mechanical these days. To me, it's more than just being able to lift your leg up high. There has to be a total involvement of the whole body and mind and spirit.

Finis: I agree. What roles does Yuri dance? Does he have special characteristics?

Robert: Yuri does Basilio in Don Q, also Le Corsaire. But lately, Yuri's been on leave. I've mainly been doing Olga. It's rare that I do the male roles. I usually either open or close the evening in the lead ballerina role. A lot of the pas de deux minimize the male roles, it's mainly about the female roles, so there's not much purpose in my dancing Yuri.

Finis: What are your favorite roles?

Robert: I love Odile in Black Swan, and Pacquita, and Grand Pas Classique.

Finis: Grand Pas has that extremely difficult sequence of fondu développés that turn into a pirouette as you travel across the stage. Few ballerinas can get through that.

Robert: But I can do those relevés. In fact, Grand Pas was my first pas deux.

Finis: I should have guessed. What has been your worst stage experience?

Robert: The most devastating thing that ever happened to me occurred after we had been dancing in Portugal, and Berlin, and right after that, we were to be shooting a DVD in redone Pacquita costumes. I was really looking forward to wearing a new tutu, and performance-wise, I'd been on a roll.

So, I came out for the coda, and while I was doing the fouettés, I sprained my ankle. For that moment in time, I went into shock on stage. I knew something had happened, but not what. I didn't hear music…….everything was in slow motion. I couldn't do anything. I just kind of stood in the center, and waited till the music finished, and then walked off stage. My ankle had swollen to the size of my fist. I didn't know what to do. My ankle was iced, and I went into healing. I was off for a full week, and then I was able to dance for the DVD.

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