Ballet and food are both sensual forms of art. Ballet dancers and chefs are similarly dedicated to their respective crafts—demonstrating technical prowess, keen attention to detail, and artistic creativity that are evident and appreciated on both the stage and the plate.
In late 2020, American Ballet Theater published a digital cookbook, ABT Kitchen, a collaboration of 65 personal recipes from ABT dancers, musicians, and staff with illustrations by ABT dancer and artist Javier Rivet. In the press release announcing the publication of this cookbook, renowned chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud commented,
“I enjoy meeting the many talented dancers and musicians at my restaurant across from Lincoln Center. This beautifully illustrated cookbook is a playful peek into the American Ballet Theatre family’s love for food. There is humor, passion, and devotion to the art of dancing and cooking.”
Mssr. Boulud’s quote got me thinking about two things:
1) food and dance definitely share many of the same creative attributes and,
2) with its New York City home, busy national and international touring schedule, and even ocean-based residencies on Celebrity Cruises, there are likely few ballet companies that are more foodie friendly than ABT!
In addition to ABT Kitchen, the ABT family’s love for food is also very evident to their fans on social media where many of the company’s artists chronicle not only their passion for dance, but also their culinary exploits, on their Instagram feeds and stories.
In some cases, these dancers are so serious about cuisine that they have launched entirely separate online presences to focus solely on their food-based pursuits. Whether demonstrating a new recipe, introducing us to a favorite local eatery, welcoming us into a gathering of family and friends, inviting us along on their travels, or just posting a picture of the last thing they loved to eat, it is very clear that the ABT family really is a family and both food and dance are central to these relationships.
After some trial and error with this literary venture into the link between ballet and food, I decided to virtually sit down and interview some of the ABT dancers that self-identify as true foodies!
I would like to offer an enormous thank you to Anabel Katsnelson for being my sounding board, supporter, and initial interviewee! With her assistance, I was also able to connect with Leah Baylin, Emily Hayes, and Betsy McBride. Through these accomplished artists, we can catch a glimpse of four similar yet totally unique and authentic experiences with the culinary world!
ABT in the Kitchen
featuring
⦿ Leah:
I grew up in a family were food (especially healthy food) was always something that brought us together in some way – meal times, cooking, baking, and just sharing flavors. Because of this my sister and I loved to help bake and cook as often as we could and when we moved away from home we both starting cooking on our own and sharing recipes with each other. We would take a picture of our meal and text it to each other. This led us to start our own foodie page on Instagram and we’ve been cooking, baking, photographing, and sharing ever since.
⦿ Emily:
I started pretty recently, a few months after the first lockdown. Since moving to NYC at 15 and being introduced to a larger world of amazing food, I have had an interest especially in baking. So I’m surprised it took me nearly ten years to start this passion project. It all began as an idea to start a YouTube channel when I was recovering from a recent knee injury. I knew I needed something to keep my mind occupied and happy, and baking did just that. Growing up I had always loved photography and filming skits and videos with my sisters, but putting your videos out there online for judgement definitely took a leap of faith. I’m glad I did because I’ve learned so much and loved every minute of it!
⦿ Anabel:
I started my food Instagram about three years ago. At first I just wanted a place to post my food photos since I love trying new recipes and checking out new restaurants. As I began posting more, I started engaging with other foodies through Instagram and even made some new friends!
⦿ Betsy:
I don’t have a food blog but I do love posting about different meals that I’ve made, or had, if I really enjoyed them!
⦿ Leah:
I have no formal experience with a cooking education.
⦿ Emily:
I have taken a couple recreational classes at the Institute of Culinary Education, but other than that, no formal training. I love to learn through YouTube videos and just experimenting with new things!
⦿ Anabel:
No, I do not have any formal cooking education. But my grandmother and mother are both amazing cooks, so I have always helped them out in the kitchen.
⦿ Betsy:
No, I basically just look up techniques and recipes on the internet. I also grew up helping my mom cook.
⦿ Leah:
I love cooking anything healthy that nourishes my body and makes me feel happy. Overall, though, I tend to gravitate towards baking or cooking dishes that have an artistic flare. For me, the presentation is just as important as the taste. Some of my favorite dishes include fancy pastas (I love making my own spaghetti) and kale salad.
⦿ Emily:
Definitely desserts and baking. Especially pâtissière and things that I can put my artistic flair on to decorate. I’ve recently been trying my hand at sugar flowers! I need much more practice to make them look realistic, but I love the delicate work. Some people are so talented at the craft that you would never know the flowers aren’t real!
⦿ Anabel:
I don’t think I have one particular preferred cuisine… I’m always excited to try something new (especially when I am traveling)! Ethiopian and Vietnamese food are two of my favorite cuisines.
⦿ Betsy:
I love Italian food! My Grandmom has a “famous lasagne” that my family always makes and I absolutely love it!
⦿ Leah:
My mom’s chicken and eggplant parmesan. I’ve eaten many amazing and unforgettable meals around the world when ABT goes on tour but there’s something about the taste of home that is so nostalgic and comforting. I feel like I’m in the film Ratatouille when I eat this dish of my mom’s – it just takes me back.
⦿ Emily:
A really hard question to answer, but one of the meals that has definitely stuck in my mind to this day is a meal I had in Porto-Vecchio, Corsica. There was this adorable restaurant on top of the hill called Furana a Prova that overlooked the port and sea. I ordered their fresh caught Saint Pierre fish with passionfruit, mango, pomegranate, redcurrant, pesto and avocado. It was so good that we went back a second time even though the town was filled with so many amazing restaurants.
⦿ Anabel:
Wow! This is a hard question. I have eaten so many amazing meals in my life! But I have a sweet tooth… one of the best desserts I ever ate was a homemade apricot and sour cherry tart with a pistachio and almond frangipane. My mom’s boyfriend (he is a professional baker!) baked this during the pandemic!
⦿ Betsy:
Hands down, penne alla vodka in Rome!
⦿ Leah:
I have a bucket list of restaurants I’d love to try in NYC. There are several Italian places on that list (it’s my favorite cuisine), but I also have some Filipino and Jamaican restaurants I’d love to try.
⦿ Emily:
The next thing I would like to learn to cook is definitely confit de canard or cassoulet. My fiancé is from the South of France so I would love to be able to cook him some things that remind him of home. Hopefully I can make it half as well as the French can [ha ha].
⦿ Anabel:
I would love to master making paella; I have made it before but the crust (socarrat) was not crispy enough! One restaurant I would love to try is Casa La Femme, an Egyptian restaurant in the West Village.
⦿ Betsy:
I love trying out new restaurants! I don’t have a particular one in mind but I always enjoy trying new places! I’ve also always wanted to try to make sushi.
⦿ Leah:
I think there absolutely is a foodie-sub culture within ABT. As dancers, nourishing our bodies is such an important aspect of the profession so I believe that you’d find a sub-culture of foodies at any ballet company. However, I would say that ABT is unique in that fact that we’re based in NYC where there is such a vast array of cuisines so we always have one more restaurant or type of food to try on our bucket list. As well, since ABT is a touring company we get such an education of the world’s foods, so each time we travel we’ll add something new to our foodie knowledge.
⦿ Emily:
I think there are definitely quite a few foodies in ABT, but I wouldn’t say it’s unique. I follow some fellow foodie ballerinas in lots of other companies too!
⦿ Anabel:
There are a lot of foodies in ABT and I love it! It’s really fun sharing recipes and trying new restaurants with my coworkers. I don’t think it’s surprising that dancers are interested in food; many of us moved away from home at a young age and had to learn to cook!
⦿ Betsy:
Absolutely, I think a lot of people at ABT are foodies. We travel all over and it’s really fun to get together and try all kinds of different restaurants and dishes together! A lot of dancers at ABT like to cook too so it’s always fun to experiment together!
⦿ Leah:
I believe that the ballet world is very slowly starting to shift its mindset toward recognizing athleticism, diversity, and healthy body image. The prevalence of foodies at any ballet company is so important in my mind because it puts an emphasis on the importance of not only how crucial it is to properly nourish our bodies with healthy foods but it also shows that food and eating can – and should be – an enjoyable and satisfying experience that is shared with others.
⦿ Emily:
I think it’s a great thing! In general I believe that there is definitely more awareness and information out there now for young dancers to grow up with a healthy body image.
⦿ Anabel:
I think being excited about food and trying new things is amazing! Focusing on the experience of eating with others takes the guilt / body image issues out of the equation. Food should be fuel, but it also should be enjoyed!
⦿ Betsy:
Yes, I think there is a strong understanding at ABT that we need to fuel our bodies really well to be able to do what we need to do.
⦿ Leah:
Both ballet and food are a visual and physical art form. For me, they go hand in hand. The physical experience I have when dancing only enhances the visual experience for the audience. With food, it’s vice versa – the visual presentation is meant to enhance the physical experience of the actual taste. So, for me, these two art forms have so much in common but they’re also a whole different animal and I get to play with and experience these similarities and differences.
⦿ Emily:
I have always been a creative person. Since as long as I can remember I have loved art and am always feeling the need to create. Through diy projects, food, photography, drawing, ballet, etc. If anything, I definitely feel that ballet gave me the patience and dedication it takes to persevere at something.
⦿ Anabel:
During the pandemic I have actually been cooking less. That is because I think it is very important to (safely) support local restaurants during this time. What professional chefs do is a specialized craft, just like ballet! I have a deep appreciation for people working in the restaurant industry. I’ve found that I enjoy eating with others more than eating alone at home. Food should be a social experience; it can bring people together and teach us about new cultures, just like ballet has the power to do!
⦿ Betsy:
I think I really can appreciate food as another form of art. I really love a good presentation of food!
⦿ Leah:
As dancers, we’ve conditioned our minds and bodies to have this incredible sense of body awareness. We’re constantly feeling all sorts of different sensations throughout our body. Having this awareness crosses over to food as we’re able to directly feel the way the food makes our bodies feel. But I also believe having such a body awareness allows me to really taste my food and enjoy it more.
⦿ Anabel:
I have actually never thought about this before! But it is true… I think it is important both with dance and food to be well-rounded and well-seasoned! In dance, it is so important to be versatile and dynamic (be able to move slowly in an adagio and then also be able to jump and turn at lightning speed!) Food is similar; the best dishes are not one note, but rather have a combination of flavors – salty, spicy, sweet, sour, bitter, or umami!
⦿ Betsy:
I think both food and dance can have many layers and so I think it makes me really appreciate the depth of both. I also think I have a real appreciation for food knowing it fuels me for my job.
⦿ Leah:
For me, it has helped quite a bit. My days used to be filled with rehearsals and once that stopped I began spending more time in the kitchen cooking and baking fancy dishes that would take all afternoon. Having this outlet to stay busy has been a life-saver for me over the past year.
⦿ Emily:
It has definitely helped me get through this last year. It has kept me very busy and my creative mind turning. I feel very fortunate to have found another passion and creative outlet that has kept me afloat while the theaters have been dark.
⦿ Anabel:
Having a food Instagram is really fun. It is a great outlet during COVID because it allows me to get creative with what I am cooking and eating!
⦿ Betsy:
It definitely was a creative outlet to try new things and focus on!
⦿ Leah:
I have no set-in-stone goals or plans but the ideas of 1) getting a degree in nutritional sciences and 2) going to culinary school have both crossed my mind. Right now, though, I just enjoy cooking healthy and delicious food.
⦿ Emily:
I have so many goals and ideas for the future! One of the biggest is probably traveling the world, filming and blogging about all the different cuisines. I’m hungry to learn about what food means to different cultures and the techniques and ingredients they use to prepare it.
⦿ Anabel:
I am hoping to change my page a little bit to focus more on food justice and sustainability. This is something I’m very passionate about! I have found that food education is extremely lacking in America. I think Instagram would be a great platform for engaging with others on this topic.
⦿ Betsy:
I don’t have any specific goals. I just want to keep trying new dishes and experimenting with different recipes.
Featured Image for ABT in the Kitchen composed by The Ballet Herald from images courtesy of participating professionals.
