“This is something that a lot of ballerinas dream to do,” said Anna McKinney.
She’s referring to performing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet.
“I’m elated,” she effused. “This is the first principal role I’ve done with the full variation Pas de Deux, Coda type of trio. It’s very challenging stamina-wise, but it’s also extremely rewarding.”
It almost didn’t happen.
McKinney had to take a year off from ballet after sustaining a head injury while dancing for the National Ballet of Canada.
“I’m grateful because it brought my passion for dance in a new light and I’m just excited to be performing again,” McKinney added.
McKinney already performed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy for Gulfshore Ballet at its production this past Saturday at St. John the Evangelist Church in Naples. But next, she’ll perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall to the accompaniment of the Gulf Coast Symphony when Gulfshore Ballet does three performances of “The Nutcracker” December 20 and 21.
“I love the score,” McKinney noted. “It’s so emotional. It’s a treat to dance.”
McKinney also appears in “The Nutcracker” as Dew Drop and in the Snow and Arabian Pas de Deux.
MORE INFORMATION:
Gulfshore Ballet and Gulf Coast Symphony (Maestro Andrew Kurtz conducting) present “The Nutcracker” with new choreography by Gulfshore Ballet Artistic Directors Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 and at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21. For tickets, telephone 800-440-7469 or 239-481-4849 or visit https://www.bbmannpah.com/events/detail/symphony-nutcracker.
McKinney studied at Gulfshore Ballet for eight years before leaving for the University of Florida.
While at the University of Florida
“I loved it,” said McKinney. “I loved the music. I loved the fact that there was always something to work on. I felt challenged in a way that was different. Every day was (a) different thing, which I liked. I liked having diverse things to focus on each day and it not being the same exact thing.”
McKinney did not pursue dance or ballet as a field of study at the University of Florida. Although she did audition for and perform in “The Nutcracker” at Dance Alive National Ballet in Gainesville, a change in majors and heavy class and study time pre-empted dance of any kind.
McKinney felt the void.
“I was like, oh, something is missing in my heart,” said McKinney. “It was obviously ballet. I just really loved it.”
Then she heard that San Francisco Ballet School was holding auditions for its next class of students.
She auditioned and was accepted.
“I decided, like, why not?” McKinney recalled. “It’s a wonderful and well-recognized school and an amazing opportunity.”
San Francisco Ballet School
Founded in 1933, San Francisco Ballet School is the oldest professional ballet school in the United States and a distinguished training ground for dancers from all over the world. Led by School Director Grace Holmes and Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, the program has a dual mission: to train classical ballet dancers capable of joining a professional company and to offer all ages and levels the love of dance.
“So, I thought, it could be good to try and see if my passion was still there.”
San Francisco Ballet School didn’t just rekindle her passion for ballet. It gave her the incentive to pursue ballet as a career.
“It was amazing,” said McKinney. “It was just awesome to see so many dedicated ballerinas and ballerinos, how talented everyone was and just how hard everybody there works.”
While she too possesses considerable talent, McKinney knew she was a bit behind everyone else because of her two-year hiatus from daily ballet practice and rehearsal.
“So, I worked really hard, as everyone else did, too.”
She earned spots in San Francisco Ballet’s productions of “Cinderella” and “Romeo & Juliet,” and rehearsed with them for “The Nutcracker” as well.
“I grew a lot there through all of the experiences that were given to us students, and then I auditioned and I got an apprentice contract with the National Ballet of Canada for the year after.”
National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada is one of the top international ballet companies in the world. It has 70 dancers, its own orchestra and a permanent home at The Walter Carsen Centre in Toronto. The National Ballet has a history of pre-eminent Artistic Directors and in January 2022, the company welcomed Hope Muir to the role.
Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. T
he company’s repertoire includes works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Aszure Barton, Marie Chouinard, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Alonzo King, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Kenneth McMillan, John Neumeier, Rudolf Nureyev, Crystal Pite, Emma Portner, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, William Yong, Robert Binet and Guillaume Côté, among other creators.
The National Ballet performs three extended engagements at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts each year, augmented by national and international tours. The company tours in Canada, the US and internationally with appearances in Paris, London, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Hamburg, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
While San Francisco Ballet School prepared her for life in a professional ballet company, McKinney did find it challenging adjusting to the longer days of rehearsal.
“Finding time to improve basic and advanced skills was the big challenge,” McKinney noted. “It’s so important to improve upon yourself and your technique. It’s something I really recommend to new dancers because that’s what enables more growth. So, I tried my best to do that, being a new, working as a new professional.”
The injury
Then she was injured.
McKinney doesn’t elaborate on the nature or extent of what happened other than to acknowledge that she sustained a head injury.
“It's easy to be in a negative space when something doesn't go the way that you hope for it to,” McKinney shared. “But I really try to stay positive and find the silver lining.”
That silver lining is the realization of ballet’s importance in her life.
“Not being able to dance brought me into a new light with ballet and dancing,” McKinney noted. “I've always enjoyed ballet, but now I enjoy it even more. I'm extremely grateful to still be able to dance and express myself through that medium. Sometimes you don’t know how important something is until it’s threatened.”
Although she could not dance professionally, Artistic Director Margaret Tracy allowed McKinney to continue training at National Ballet.
“Which was a great opportunity, and I'm extremely grateful to her for that,” said McKinney. “So, I trained and got better day by day, because [the injury] affected me mentally as well as physically and emotionally.”
Back Home
Now she’s back home with her parents in Cape Coral, going through the audition process all over again.
“Ileana presented me with this opportunity, and I’m elated to be back at Gulfshore Ballet and dancing the Sugar Plum in ‘The Nutcracker,’” McKinney noted. “It's really emotional and grounding for me to be in my hometown and area, and it's amazing that my fellow alumni are here as well.”
Her degree
While McKinney left Gainesville for San Francisco and then Toronto, she did earn her degree from the University of Florida.
“It was challenging,” she noted.
While at San Francisco Ballet, McKinney switched to UF Online so that she could complete her coursework remotely.
As her degree is in health education and behavior, physiology was an important part of her course of study.
“So, I was dissecting animals where I was living in the dorm, which was funny. And it required a lot of late nights and just being diligent and consistent with schedule. But I'm so happy that I received the degree. It helped me grow in ways that I wouldn't have if I didn't do it, and I'm really happy that I challenged myself in that way, and I hope to inspire other dancers to do the same.”
She hopes that some of the younger students at Gulfshore Ballet will be inspired by her story — by her drive, determination, tenacity and perseverance.
Hers is a story that can inspired us all.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
