(compelling music) - [Sophie] And it's nice to see the leg sometimes.

Exactly.

Really nice.

- I just have to hide my sound belt.

- Oh, (laughs) you're like a Bond girl.

- Yeah, absolutely.

(both laugh) (upbeat music) - Welcome to "Portrait Mode."

In this episode, I speak with dancer Skylar Brandt.

Skylar is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater and has been with the company since 2009.

Some of her leading roles with ABT include Giselle in "Giselle," Kitri in "Don Quixote," and Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake."

In 2022, she was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Arts and Style.

It's always a lot of fun shooting with dancers.

How are you?

- How's it going?

- Good, thanks for doing this.

- Oh my God, of course.

- I'm so excited.

- I'm so excited.

- Do you want to go through looks first quickly?

- Sure, yes.

- [Sophie] They said you have a lot of really interesting things - Fun things.

- Ooh, wow.

- These are Norma Kamali pants.

- So fun.

- Fringe, great for movement.

I love this.

- What was this from?

- That's from ABT.

- Wow.

- This is a Missoni dress.

It was my mom's.

- This I love sort of the volume and like the tulle kind of.

- [Skylar] Yeah.

- I mean, I'm thinking this one.

- [Skylar] Okay.

- Because of the gray backdrop, I think this will really pop on it.

- Right.

(calm music) - And then it's just a little sliding door here.

- [Skylar] Perfect.

Okay, perfect, thank you.

- Later!

(calm music continues) (calm music continues) - Voilà.

- We're ready.

(laughs) Hi!

Oh my God, this looks amazing.

- Yeah, we put your floor down.

So hopefully this works.

- This is perfect.

(chill beat music) - [Sophie] Do you mind if I snap you while you're doing this - Oh, yeah, no, please.

- Just like on this old school guy.

- What, where- - It's a Rolleiflex.

It was my dad's, and he gave it to me.

- That's incredible.

- It's amazing.

It takes those square photos, you know?

- There's something so special about film.

I mean, as a dancer, I love digital 'cause then I can look at the shot and fix myself.

- Yeah, and I like to do both.

I do both, but just like something like this, I feel like it's so much more special on film for some reason.

- Oh, totally.

- I don't know why, certain things I'm just like, this will look really beautiful.

(chill beat music continues) I've heard you do something special to your shoes.

- I do, (laughs) I do.

(Sophie laughs) My feet are not like the best feet for ballet 'cause they're not that flexible.

It's like something you're either born with it or you're not.

Because my feet don't point as much, what I do to help myself is I cut out half of the shoe - Oh wow.

- So that I can mold the shoe more easily so that when I go up en pointe, my weight essentially pushes it over.

And I cut it so high so that this like jagged part doesn't actually press in anywhere.

And then I also wear, which is something that other dancers do, but they don't talk about it openly 'cause it's kind of like, I don't wanna say they're embarrassed, but it's like something that people usually like to keep a secret.

I wear what's called arch enhancers, which is like a fake arch to give me the look like I have more.

- Yeah, and you look gorgeous.

- Yeah, but I don't mind.

You know, I never shied away - You don't mind talking about it because - Talking about it - It's real.

- 'Cause it's real and also, you know, people with super flexible feet, it's not like they didn't work for their feet.

They're just born with those feet.

So I'm like, I wasn't born with those feet.

- Right, and so you figured out a way.

Yeah, you worked at it and figured out a way around it.

- Exactly, but what's crazy about me cutting out half of my shoe is that my shoes still last me like three months.

You know, I could - And that's long?

- wear the same...

So a normal, say, professional dancer could go through a single pair of pointe shoes in a day.

- Wow, that's crazy.

- Yeah, or like a couple pairs in a performance.

- That's wild.

- So, but my own shoes...

So the pointe shoe woman loves me.

I save ABT a lot of money (Sophie laughs) because I'm never in there requesting new pointe shoes.

So it's that great.

- Shall we start?

Are you ready?

- Let's do it.

(clapper taps) (chill music) - Are there directors at ballets, or is it like a choreographer is the director?

- Well, the choreographer is the director.

Then there's like the main director who will be able to say, this is how I want you to do x, y, or z of my step.

- Right.

- But then we have our director director who casts people and could give feedback, correction, and that kind of thing.

But I do feel like you're like the choreographer today.

- Sort of.

'Cause I'm the director, right, - You're the director.

- But I'm obviously not a choreographer.

- Yeah, but you could be like, do that again or like, can you do something that, you know?

- So you do sort of what you feel would be interesting for a photo.

- Perfect.

- And if I see something that I like or that, you know, can you do something more with your hands here or whatever else.

- Yes, can I do it.

- And then if something that I say sounds ridiculous, just tell me to- - Yes, okay, amazing.

- I will not be offended.

- Okay.

- So we'll just do, you know?

(camera clicks) Oh, it's so pretty.

Yeah, gorgeous.

That's really nice.

And it's nice when you're also turning toward the window because of the light.

- The light is coming.

- Yeah, exactly.

- [Skylar] I'll keep that in mind then.

- Angles, so pretty.

Gorgeous, yeah, I love that too from the front.

Really nice.

(camera clicks) When did you decide you wanted to start dancing professionally?

- When I was eight years old.

I'm dreaming of becoming a ballerina, and I want it so much.

(Skylar laughs) - [Sophie] You started the classes at six.

- Six.

I was like, oh, I will be a principal dancer at ABT.

Like not even a single edge of doubt.

That was just me having big dreams and thinking, oh yeah, I'm gonna do that.

- Yeah, and I love that you just knew, I need to do this.

- I knew.

Yes, yeah.

I was a kid who was playing with my imagination, playing house, dress up, whatever.

And when I went to see the ballet and I saw grownups being princesses and fairies and things on stage with music and with sets, I was like, "Oh, I can do this when I grow up?"

And that's literally what I wanted to do.

(chill music) (camera clicks) - Oh my gosh.

- Like this?

- I love the movement.

(chill music continues) Love.

And I liked when you sort of the first time you kind of looped around, it felt like.

I know this is not...

I'm not saying it right.

- Looped.

- I felt like it was more - Say it again.

- You sort of put it up more from the side.

- [Skylar] Got it, got it, okay, uh huh.

- Gorgeous.

That is exactly.

And then the hands can try... Each time you do it, maybe try a different hand position.

- Okay, okay, great.

- Gorgeous, that was so pretty.

I love that one.

And maybe do one more.

(chill music continues) That is so stunning.

I feel like we have it.

- Amazing.

- Right?

Yep, okay, so let's do something completely different, sort of moving.

- I could do maybe more like a pirouette.

- Yeah, pirouette, with the spinning.

- Yeah.

- I love that.

One, two, three.

(camera clicks) (chill music continues) Great.

One, two, three.

(camera clicks) (chill music continues) I love this already.

Gorgeous.

That's really nice what you just did with the leg.

I'm coming in a little closer.

(chill music continues) Sometimes it's so pretty just to have you still, right?

So pretty.

(camera clicks) (chill music continues) Exactly.

(camera clicks) (chill music continues) Gorgeous.

Oh, like a hold, hold.

(chill music continues) Beautiful.

(camera clicks) And then let's try one standing.

What if we go by the window?

That's nice, I love the soft face and then just kind of like leaning on the wall.

(chill music continues) Cool.

Yeah, I love that with the head against the wall.

- Okay, let's take a minute.

I actually have some rapid fire questions for you.

- Okay, okay.

- Are you up for that?

- Yeah, yeah, totally.

- Great.

Don't think too hard about them, just whatever first comes to mind.

- Okay, okay.

- Favorite role you ever played?

- Giselle.

- Last song you listened to.

- "Pyramids" - Favorite person to follow on Instagram.

- Alexis Brandt, my sister.

(laughs) - Love that.

Favorite song to dance to.

- Ooh.

Philip Glass.

- Love that answer.

- Yeah.

- This one is from my daughter.

- Okay.

- Are you in "The Nutcracker?"

- I am.

(both laugh) - But what have you played?

- About every role that there is to play, but most recently Clara.

(laughs) - All right, so this next series is "This or that?"

So you just pick which one you prefer.

- Okay.

- Tights over or under a leotard?

- Tights over.

- Turns or balance?

- Turns.

- Adagio or grand allegro.

- Hmm, adagio, which is surprising 'cause I used to hate, like abhor, adagio.

(laughs) - Odette or Odile?

- Odile.

- Dental floss or sewing thread?

- Dental floss.

(upbeat music) - Classical or contemporary?

- Classical.

- Drama or comedy?

- Drama.

- Performing in front of a crowd of friends or a crowd of strangers?

- Hmm, in front of a crowd of friends.

- "Center Stage" or "Save the Last Dance?"

- "Center Stage."

- Amazing job!

I love all your answers.

- Thanks.

That was nerve wracking too.

(both laugh) (upbeat music concludes) - I have an idea.

- Uh huh.

- I've been directing you the whole shoot.

I was wondering if you would like to turn the camera around on me.

- Yes.

- Okay.

- Oh my God, that's so awesome.

- So you'll direct me.

- (gasps) This is so exciting.

I'm gonna put this around my neck.

Do I get a hair and makeup take or?

- [Skylar] Yeah, right?

- Okay, so direct me and tell me what to do.

- Oh my God, this is so much harder (laughs) than what I just did.

- I know, I need direction.

- Do something like sort of covering your face with your hands, but where I can just like see your eyes.

Yeah, that's really beautiful.

(chill music) Yeah.

- I love that.

- Do you like it actually?

- Yes, I do actually.

- Okay.

And then I'll do subject's choice, yeah.

Okay.

(camera clicks) (chill music continues) - So serious.

(both laugh) Amazing.

- No, but with a little bit of a smile.

- I love it, yeah.

- My turn.

(chill music continues) I'm gonna get down.

Just hold that right there.

(laughs) (chill music continues) Cool.

So, are you up for going outside for a minute?

- Yeah.

- I'll like bring my Super 8, and we'll do like a little video.

- Awesome.

- Is that cool?

(chill music continues) My idea for this little short is to do almost like a little spy vignette where you start out in one space and you almost like, you're hiding like behind a wall and then you like spin your way to another space.

You start here like you're, you know, going down, and then we'll round the corner and everything.

- Okay.

- It could almost be like one of those like, you know, where like you're kind of with your back like straight to the thing.

- Yes, yes, okay.

- Ready, go.

(upbeat spytrack music) (upbeat spytrack continues) (upbeat spytrack continues) (horn honks) (both laugh) You're so good.

I love it so much!

- Is that okay?

- [Sophie] Perfect.

- Is that what you were thinking?

- It was absolutely perfect.

I'm gonna get a couple frames of you - Cool - On this little guy.

(upbeat spytrack music continues) And then the big movement circle.

(upbeat spytrack music continues) Okay, do one this way where I see the street behind.

Cool.

One, two, three.

Casual.

Gorgeous.

Think we got it.

- Yay!

- That was so good.

Thank you so much.

I'm glad (indistinct) - Me too, I know.

- Oh my God, I can't wait to see that film.

You're amazing.

You need to act.

- Aw, thanks.

- Thank you.

- Thanks, Sophie.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music concludes) (no audio)