6 minute read

Maria Kowroski

from Vail Dance Magazine 2021

by Vail Valley Foundation

from Vail Dance Magazine 2021, page 50

Thank You

MARIA KOWROSKI takes a last bow

New York City Ballet star retires in October

By Kimberly Nicoletti

Choosing to retire is never easy for a dancer, and for New York City Ballet (NYCB) Principal Dancer Maria Kowroski, the decision has been complicated by injuries and a global pandemic.

Throughout her illustrious career, Kowroski always assumed she’d retire at age 42. But as 42 came and went, she felt great and continued on to the delight of her audiences, but less than two years later, in December 2019, she tore a tendon. And just as she was recovering from that injury, she then tore her meniscus. She figured it was her body’s way of telling her it was time to retire, but “I didn’t just want to walk away,” she said. “I thought of it, but when you’re dedicated to your art form, you want to have some closure.”

So she set a retirement date for May 2020, but COVID-19 canceled the season. With a desire to say farewell on a high note, she has decided to retire this October at age 45. But before that, she will happily be back in Vail again after several years absence.

REACHING THE PINNACLE Kowroski’s journey to NYCB Principal Dancer is a testament to her mental and physical strength, as well as her extraordinary ability to interpret works.

She began ballet at age seven in Michigan, and when she entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB, at age sixteen, she felt a little behind in terms of technique.

“I had a lot of flexibility and mobility, but all I heard was, ‘you have to get stronger,’” she said.

So that’s exactly what she did. In less than two and a half years, she joined NYCB’s corps de ballet and was promoted to Principal Dancer four years later.

From her solid technique, she began focusing on more fully expressing herself: she used her personal experiences, such as the death of her mother and giving birth to her son, to bring more life — and more of her own essence — to her work.

Kowroski’s ability to translate her emotions, passion, and life experience into dance has made her truly extraordinary. “Everyone gets caught up in the technique, and they forget to dance. When you get caught up in technique, you do lose that dancing quality and it becomes not as special,” she said. “I was — and still am — such a perfectionist and was very hard on myself. I couldn’t appreciate the moments on stage that were wonderful and glorious. Throughout the years, I have really tried to enjoy myself and forget about technique.”

VAIL “Maria has always brought to her dancing a distinctive authority and conviction,” said Vail Dance Festival Artistic Director and former NYCB Principal Dancer Damian Woetzel, who danced with Kowroski over many years in New York. “The quality of illuminating new work is something that has been central to Maria’s career, but she also has been a unique voice in reinterpreting roles that are part of the classic repertory at New York City Ballet.” Collaborating with dancers from international companies at Vail Dance Festival helped her develop artistically. “When you’re in small groups, there’s more inspiration because everyone is supporting each other,” she said. “You get to take the time and work on things, take more chances and present yourself in a new

Maria Kowroski and students of the School of American Ballet in New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

way. I felt like I danced more like myself [in Vail] than I did when I danced in the company. Then, I could take that back to the company and try to recreate that.”

Summers in Vail help refresh dancers with new input and inspiration. “The life of a dancer in New York City Ballet or at other companies can be very insular, and you can really feel at times that you are in a bubble. So getting to perform outside the company, even if it’s sometimes in the same roles, can be very important in developing as an artist,” Woetzel said. “I think Maria capitalized on that possibility in her time in Vail. That growth away from the company would become a part of her development across the whole repertory.”

Meeting her husband, former Royal Ballet dancer Martin Harvey, in Vail also changed her life, and having their son helped her become more playful, on and off stage.

“Over the years, we build up worries,” Kowroski said. “Watching my son love life helps me connect to my inner child.”

LOOKING FORWARD During the pandemic, Kowroski spent time exploring her relationship to teaching dance and found that she loved giving back. “You realize how much information you have inside and how much you have to say,” she said. “I want to encourage my students not to make my mistakes with perfectionism and injuries. I don’t have any regrets, but I really wish I hadn’t been so hard on myself.”

Fortunately, she gave herself permission to be carefree on stage, whether it was performing George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream nearly five months pregnant with her son or tearing it up with Woetzel as a cowboy’s gal during Western Symphony. “We still smile and laugh when we run into each other on the street and recall counting off in the wings and getting ready to go on stage,” Woetzel said. “I can’t wait to have her back at the Festival this summer and to celebrate her and all she has brought to the world through her dancing.” For her part, Kowroski recalls partnering with Woetzel at his 2008 retirement performance at New York City Ballet as “such an honor.”

Beyond teaching, Kowroski isn’t sure what retirement will bring, but she looks forward to reliving cherished memories in Vail this summer, and making new ones.

“I still want to learn and absorb everything I can [here],” she said. “Damian and Heather [Watts] take the time to share their knowledge, and that’s very precious. You never know; one little thing they say can open your eyes to a whole other world.”