New Principal Dancer Lia Cirio's Top 5 Ballet Roles

Just five? Just kidding. It was actually pretty easy to pick them.

First, let me say that I know it sounds cheesy, but I do try to make every role that I am currently dancing my favorite role. If I can treat a role that way, then I can bring my best to it.

My all time favorite ballet is probably Swan Lake. I love the music, the story, pretty much everything about it. I’ve never done the principal role here in Boston, but I’ve had the chance to dance both the white swan pas and black swan pas at different guestings. But even just dancing four little swans and big swans, I was so happy being on stage. I hope I get the chance to someday dance Odette/Odile.

Some ballets you love simply because of the enjoyment they bring. One of those ballets for me is Balanchine’s Apollo. I had the chance to dance Terpsichore last spring, and I have to say I would never tire of that role. The ballet itself is choreographically and architecturally amazing. I think it is Balanchine’s oldest surviving ballet, but I believe it is still so relevant today. I love the clarity of movement and the calming, sort of mesmerizing effect it has on the audience. What a privilege to dance that role.

There are other ballets that have personal meaning to a dancer – some sort of emotional connection. The next three all have that for me. Each, in its own way, is extremely special.

The first is the role of Mikaela in Jorma Elo’s Carmen. This is a role I originated when Jorma first set Carmen on the company. I was very young in the company, and it was such an honor to dance it. The second time the company did the ballet, Jorma had me dance the role again. He changed it a bit, gave her more of a character, actually gave us all more of a story line. Mikaela begins and ends the ballet, and each time I danced the ending, I felt the audience could feel her pain. There’s a part of me deep down that identifies with that pain, so I was always very close to crying. It’s amazing to feel a role that deeply.

Similar to this is Helen Pickett’s Tsukiyo. Helen choreographed a pas de deux to Arvo Part’s music, Spiegel im Speigel. I was lucky enough to dance this with my good friend, Sabi Varga. It is a piece of music and choreography that is so wonderfully intimate, which can sometimes be difficult to give yourself to, but Sabi made it easy for me. I felt that we had such a connection with each other and to the music - everything around us disappeared. That kind of experience seldom happens, when you actually forget you are dancing.

The last ballet would be Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, what I call “my lucky ballet.” While I was studying at CPYB, this was actually the first Balanchine ballet I danced in, other than his Nutcracker. When I came to Boston, we performed it, and it was one of my first soloist roles with the company. So, it has a special place in my heart and, once again, Balanchine’s choice of music, together with his choreography, makes this ballet another masterpiece.

So, those would be my five favorite roles/ballets. I am sure as I get further along in my career, others will come along. Right now I am rehearsing Nikiya and will be rehearsing Gamzatti in La Bayadère, and I have a feeling that these two roles could easily have a special place in my heart. Florence Clerc is a wonderful coach and I feel really privileged to be rehearsing these roles with her. Right now, they ARE my favorite roles.

Lia Cirio as Mikaela in Jorma Elo's Carmen, photo by Gene Schiavone.