DANCER HIGHLIGHT: Nicole Fannéy
Nicole Fannéy | Photo by Beau Pearson
During the summer between seasons, Demi-Soloist Nicole Fannéy spends the time first taking a break and spending time with her family in North Carolina, where she grew up. But she doesn’t break for too long before she is back to work to stay in shape by taking classes at her home studio and doing exercises like yoga, Pilates, and gyrotonics. “I really take the time to focus on building strength and working on my technique so that when I’m back in the studio at Ballet West, I’m ready to work.”
The past season included many roles for Fannéy, but her favorite was performing Tall Swans in Swan Lake, which just so happens to be one of her favorite ballets. “I love the music and all the dancing in it,” she said, having performed in the production several times, but never as a Tall Swan. “It was definitely a challenge because you are on stage the entire act, and though it is technically very challenging with a lot of big jumps, the music just makes it worthwhile and makes me feel like a ballerina.”
She explains the process of learning a demanding role. The first week dancers learn the choreography, engraining it into their minds and bodies. Then slowly, they run through each dance at a time, taking breaks to build up their stamina so they can run it all the way through. On top of that, she says most dancers do other exercise work outside of the studio to build up stamina, such as an elliptical bike, treadmill, or other cardio exercises.
Fannéy is a student at the University of Utah majoring in Economics, so when she isn’t in the studio, she is attending class or studying. She also manages to find time to read, hang out with friends, and watch movies.
What Fannéy loves the most about dancing is getting to share her emotions and tell a story without actually speaking. “I’m very shy when it comes to speaking in front of a large group of people,” she said. “When I am on stage, however, I love connecting with the audience and taking them on a journey. It’s hard to describe, but it’s a very special moment.”
Follow Nicole on Instagram @nikki.fanney