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GM: Even at kindergarten, my shoes would wear out quickly. My parents were like, "What is going on?" Even at school, I would walk around on pointe, in my sneakers. They always lined kids up. Waiting in line, I was playing around with being on pointe.
GP: What had you seen that made you want to stand on pointe?
GM: I used to love moving to music, and particularly with classical ballet, the challenges that come with working on the technique and developing the artistry that's expressed in the technique. I guess I've always been a perfectionist, and art is something that can never be perfect. But there's always the hope.
GP: It's a paradox.
GM: Exactly. I enjoy that challenge. Also developing the artistry, the interpretation of the characters.
GP: Did you do drama in school?
GM: No. My brother, who's four years older, did a lot of local theater, and I did some of the background work, chorus. But I was pretty shy as far as speaking goes.
GP: You said in another interview that when you first put on pointe shoes, at age 11, you felt like you had a mission to the art.
GM: I was actually nine and three quarters, which is young to be on pointe, but yes, from that moment on it's been a passion to become a ballerina. I guess I was on a mission to be the best I could be.
GP: Did the pointe shoes feel how you thought they would?
GM: When I put my first pair of pointe shoes on, it was Christmastime and I didn't want to scuff them up. So I got a towel out and just tried them on over the towel. I just loved being on pointe and the feelings.
GP: Did it feel powerful? Feminine? Heavenly?
GM: It's a moment of initiation, like when an Indian or Native American boy goes out to the woods and comes back a man. And it felt ethereal, which in a sense is feminine.
GP: Did your dancing have to do with staking a claim as a girl, in a family with older brothers?
GM: I never thought about that, but it's interesting. My older brother was an incredible soccer player in high school, and my other brother was involved in theater production. Dancing was a completely different pursuit than what my brothers were up to. They never took a dance class in their life, and they made fun of me because that's what older brothers do. But that gave me a sense of perspective.
GP: Do you want to mention any particular teacher who was important to you?
GM: The North Carolina School of the Arts really polished my training.
GP: What were the surprises when you got there?
GM: The academic program was so good, and the schedule combined with my ballet training was all feasible. In the past, it had been chaotic. But the greatest thing was the sense of community. Even if all these kids, 14-, 15-year-olds, were pursuing different arts, as dancers or musicians, actors, or visual artists, there was that feeling of importance about what we were doing. In the past, I'd had school friends and dance friends and they didn't really coincide.
GP: Was it competitive?
GM: I don't remember feeling any major competitiveness. Each person creates their own energy level about what they're doing.
GP: You've spoken about your teacher Melissa Hayden. How did she interact with you?
GM: Melissa and I really connected. She expects 200 percent at all times. I think what she liked was my fearlessness. Most people are a little afraid of her because she's such a demanding figure. I was just there, ready to apply every correction. She's been an incredible influence in polishing my technique and supporting my instincts. She didn't ever try to change me, just make what I was doing a lot better.
Interview by writer Elizabeth Kendall for GREAT PERFORMANCES Online (all photos by Marty Sohl -- Thirteen/WNET).
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