Dancing Through It: My Journey in the Ballet (41 page)

costume department of,
137
–38,
191
–92

Dancers’ Emergency Fund,
43

Diamond Project,
86
,
200
,
202

friendships in,
244

grueling schedule in,
64
–65,
73

high standards in,
60
,
87
,
195
,
206

invitation to join,
3
,
57
–58,
69

and orchestra,
171
,
172
–73,
181
–82

principal dancers of,
74
,
169
,
193
,
206

publicity for,
224

rehearsal time in,
61
,
64
,
68
,
169
,
209

repertoire of,
61
,
68
–69,
169

at Saratoga,
32
,
112
,
177
,
190
,
193
–95,
209

and School of American Ballet,
28

sense of belonging in,
73
–74

signing in,
167
–68

soloists in,
92

unique artistry of,
55
–56,
170
,
174
,
250

Workout program,
115
,
150

New York City Opera,
62

New York Sports Clubs,
115
,
150

New York State Theater:

author’s first performance in,
46
–49

author’s first solo in,
80

designed for ballet,
47

stagehands,
167
,
168

warming up backstage,
157
–58,
167

New York Times,
4
,
94
,
212
,
214
,
220

Nichols, Kyra,
233
,
242

Nikitas, Tanya,
11

North Carolina, author’s childhood in,
7
–9

The Nutcracker
(Tchaikovsky),
64
–68,
81
,
148

author’s comeback in,
155
,
156
–59

in Brooklyn,
179
–80

in New Paltz,
134
,
137
–44

Sugar Plum Fairy,
92
,
138
,
139
–40,
144
,
190
,
211
–12,
250
–51;
see also
Sugar Plumgate

tutu for,
137
–38,
139
–40

O’Day, Kevin,
Huoah,
94

Oprah
(TV),
223
–30

Overeaters Anonymous (OA),
101
–3,
104
–5,
109
,
110

pain:

in ballet class,
21
–22

dancing through,
21
–22,
51
,
80
–81,
87
,
197
–99

Palermo, Italy, performance in,
240

partnering,
21
–22,
36
,
37
,
83
–84,
124

Parton, Dolly,
127
,
163

Pas de Quatre
(Perrot),
184
–86

Patrelle, Francis,
Romeo and Juliet,
150
–51,
180
–81

Pazcoguin, Gina,
203

perfection:

author’s quest for,
2
,
5
,
26
,
72
,
87
,
93
,
100
,
102
,
113
,
115
,
248
,
249
–50,
251
,
256

and Christian faith,
5
,
111
,
120
,
254

correcting errors in line or technique,
214
,
220

mirror reflection of flaws and imperfections,
86
,
89
,
119
,
245
,
256
–57

in performance,
80
,
173
,
175
,
179

and physical appearance,
17
,
86
–87,
91
,
119
,
220

subjective judgment of,
135
,
153
,
214
,
220
,
249
–50

technical foundation for,
36
–37,
174
,
220
,
236

Pilarre, Susan,
36
,
37
,
42
,
50

Pilates,
52
,
98
,
124

Portman, Natalie,
220
,
227

Professional Children’s School (PCS),
34
,
36
,
55
,
124

Prokofiev, Sergei,
Romeo and Juliet,
83
–85,
150
–51,
180
–81

Ramasar, Amar,
183
–84

Ratmansky, Alexei:

Namouna: A Grand Divertissement,
232

Russian Seasons,
200
–204,
232
,
246

Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York,
196
–97

Ringer, Becky (sister),
9
–10,
24
,
31
,
145
,
189
,
241

as best friend,
99
,
126
,
151
–52

in New York,
76
,
78
,
86
,
99

wedding of,
105

Ringer, Doug (father),
9
,
17
,
88
–89,
105
,
247

Ringer, Jenifer:

and boyfriends,
121
–25,
151

childhood of,
6
–17,
121
,
255
–56

children of,
see
Fayette, Grace Rebecca; Fayette, Luke Douglas

confidence of,
119
–20,
151
,
197
,
199

and critical reviews,
see
Sugar Plumgate

in dance classes,
8
,
9
,
11
–12,
14
–16,
19
–22

and dating,
124
–26,
130
,
145
–48,
149
,
150
,
151
–52,
160

in denial,
93
–94,
100
,
103
,
104
,
109
–10,
129

and depression,
5
,
114
–15,
117

eating disorder of,
3
,
5
,
53
,
86
–92,
93
,
95
,
98
,
100
–101,
103
,
104
–5,
106
,
107
–8,
117

faith of,
see
Christian faith

icing her feet,
74
–76

injuries to,
50
–53,
55
,
98
–99,
197
–98

and James,
see
Fayette, James

looking back on her career,
251
–54

media stories about,
94

and motherhood,
196
,
204
–10,
215
,
222
,
245
–48,
254

name, spelling of,
60

perfection sought by,
2
,
5
,
26
,
72
,
87
,
93
,
100
,
102
,
113
,
115
,
248
,
249
–50,
251
,
256

and performance preparation,
163
–70

and pregnancy,
205
–7,
246
,
247
–49,
250
–51

retirement thoughts of,
206
–7,
244
,
253

schooling of,
8
,
9
,
10
–11,
34
–35,
55
,
73
,
121

singing “Little Drummer Boy,”
147
–48

as teenager,
23
,
28
,
31
–34,
38
,
39
,
42
,
50
,
53
–54,
58
,
73
,
77
,
81
,
84
–85,
103
,
176
,
220
,
249
–50

wedding of,
188
–92

Ringer, Scharlene (mother),
88
–89,
105

and author’s childhood,
8
–9

and author’s dance career,
18
,
34
,
56
,
99
–100,
110
,
111

and author’s dance lessons,
24
–25

and author’s injuries,
51
,
55
,
99
–101

and author’s physical development,
54

and author’s wedding,
189
–92

and Ballet Mothers,
26
,
28

and grandchildren,
226
,
247

jobs held by,
24
,
31

Riverside Church, New York, performance at,
128

Robbins, Jerome,
86
,
108
,
170

choreography,
see
Robbins, Jerome, choreography by

eye contact desired by,
237
–38

“Jerry Dancers,”
237

Robbins, Jerome, choreography by:

The Concert,
94

Dances at a Gathering,
see
Dances at a Gathering

Fancy Free,
161

The Four Seasons,
178
–79,
226
,
230

I’m Old Fashioned,
225

Interplay,
81
–83

Moves,
89
–90

2 and 3 Part Inventions,
94

West Side Story Suite,
207

Robbins Rights Trust,
207

Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”
(Balanchine),
182

Romeo and Juliet
(Prokofiev),
83
–85,
150
–51,
180
–81

Royal Ballet,
56

Royal Danish Ballet,
187

Russian classical style,
20

Russian Seasons
(Ratmansky),
200
–204,
232
,
246

San Francisco Ballet,
207

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC),
177
–78,
193

Saratoga Springs:

James’s final performance in,
193
–95

summer seasons in,
32
,
112
,
190
,
209

Savoye, Sean,
90

School of American Ballet,
28

author as student in,
33
–34,
35
–40,
41

author as teacher in,
246

author’s acceptance to,
29

Balanchine technique taught in,
30
,
35
–36,
57
,
187

competition in,
39
–40

gateway to career in,
42

high standards in,
29
–30,
58

male class at,
124

neoclassical style in,
35
–36

and
The Nutcracker,
66

summer course at,
31
–34

Workshop program,
42
–51,
64

Schorer, Suki,
36
,
37
,
42
–45,
48
–50

self-absorption,
108
,
113
–15

self-acceptance,
119
–20,
151
,
158
,
256
–57

self-hatred,
4
,
91
,
102
,
112
,
113
,
119
,
225
,
256

self-image,
4
,
89
–91,
100
,
118
,
216
–17,
222
,
249
–50

Serenade
(Balanchine),
52
,
232

author’s epiphany in,
2
–3,
27

author’s image of,
1
–3

choreography,
27
,
35

music of,
1
,
2
–3,
27
,
49

opening scene,
1

Waltz Girl,
1
,
2
,
4
,
44
–45,
49
,
159

in Workshop program,
42
,
43
–49

Shields, Terry,
12
,
13
–16,
17
,
18
,
19

Sinfonia
(Martins),
94
–95

The Sleeping Beauty
(Tchaikovsky),
38
,
81
,
161
,
177
–78

Somogyi, Jennie,
172

La Sonnambula
(Balanchine),
209

Soto, Jock,
233
,
239
–40

Sousa, John Philip,
148

South Carolina, author’s childhood in,
9
–17

South Carolina Children’s Ballet Theatre,
15
–17

Stafford, Abi,
203

Stars and Stripes
(Balanchine),
113
,
129
,
148

Steel, Michael,
19

Steps,
117
–19,
208

Stiefel, Ethan,
57