Megan Fairchild
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{short description|American ballet dancer}}
{{Infobox dancer
| name = Megan Fairchild
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| full_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|06|17|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
| height =
| occupation = Ballet dancer
| education = School of American Ballet
| years_active = 2001–present
| current_group = New York City Ballet
| former_groups =
| dances =
| website = {{url|meganfairchild.com}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Andrew Veyette|2011|2017|end=divorced}}
| children = 3
| relatives = Robert Fairchild (brother)
}}
Megan Fairchild (born June 17, 1984) is an American ballet dancer. She is currently a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycballet.com/Dancers/Dancers-Bios/Megan-Fairchild.aspx|title=Megan Fairchild|date=17 April 2020|website=New York City Ballet}}
Early life
Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began her dance training at the age of four, studying with Judy Levitre and Kaelynne Oliphant at Dance Concepts in Sandy, Utah, and at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City with Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, and Maureen Laird. While at the Ballet West Conservatory, Fairchild was also a Ballet West trainee. Fairchild entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2000.
Her brother, Robert Fairchild was also a principal with the company.{{Cite news|last=Kourlas|first=Gia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/arts/dance/robert-fairchild-new-york-city-ballet-duo-concertant.html|title=Robert Fairchild Says Goodbye to City Ballet With Balanchine and Roses|date=16 October 2016|work=New York Times}} She and her brother are both recipients of the Mae L. Wien Award at the School of American Ballet.{{Cite news|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Interview-Robbie-and-Megan-Fairchild-Talk-Awards-Season-Broadway-vs-Ballet-and-More-20150704|title=BWW Interview: Robbie and Megan Fairchild Talk Awards Season, Broadway vs. Ballet, and More!|last=Henry|first=Sally|newspaper=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=2017-01-08}}
Career
In November 2001, Fairchild joined the New York City Ballet as an apprentice, and in October 2002 she joined the Company and became a member of the corps de ballet. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of soloist in February 2004, and in January 2005, she was promoted to principal dancer.
In 2011, she danced the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in a telecast of The Nutcracker.
Fairchild made her Broadway stage debut playing the role of Ivy Smith in the 2014 revival of On the Town,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/realestate/megan-fairchild-ballet-dancer-at-home-in-westchester.html|title=Megan Fairchild, Ballet Dancer, at Home in Westchester|last=Kaufman|first=Joanne|date=2015-03-20|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2017-01-08}} which opened on October 16, 2014, at the Lyric Theatre. She received the 2015 Theatre World Award for her performance. She is currently a Teaching Fellow with the School of American Ballet.
Fairchild defended Peter Martins, then Ballet Master in Chief of the New York City Ballet, when he was accused of physical and sexual abuse. She said she felt safe working with him.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/arts/dance/peter-martins-resigns-ballet.html|title= Peter Martins Retires From New York City Ballet After Misconduct Allegations|work=New York Times|last=Pogrebin|first=Robin|date=1 January 2018}}
Selected repertoire
George Balanchine
- Apollo (Calliope)
- Ballo della Regina
- Coppélia (Swanilda)
- "Emeralds" and "Rubies" from Jewels
- The Nutcracker (Sugarplum Fairy, Dewdrop, Marzipan, Dolls)
- Harlequinade (Pierrette)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Butterfly, Divertissement)
- Raymonda Variations
- Serenade
- Symphony in C (First Movement, Third Movement)
- Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux
- Theme and Variations
August Bournonville
- La Sylphide (The Sylph)
Peter Martins
- The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Ruby, Princess Florine)
- Swan Lake (Odette/Odile, Pas de Trois, Pas de Quatre, Neapolitan)
Jerome Robbins
= Created roles =
- Robert La Fosse: Land of Nod (Natalie)
- Peter Martins: Bal de Couture, Naïve and Sentimental Music
- Angelin Preljocaj: Spectral Evidence
- Alexei Ratmansky: Namouna, A Grand Divertissement, Voices
- Susan Stroman: "The Blue Necklace" from Double Feature (Florence)
- Christopher Wheeldon: Shambards
Personal life
In 2011, Fairchild married fellow New York City Ballet principal Andrew Veyette,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/fashion/weddings/megan-fairchild-and-andrew-veyette-vows.html|title=Megan Fairchild and Andrew Veyette|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 5, 2011|last1=Brady|first1=Lois Smith}} but they quietly divorced in 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/arts/dance/megan-fairchild-swan-lake.html#:~:text=Now%20divorced%2C%20they%20were%20a,announced%20their%20split%20on%20Instagram.&text=And%20while%20her%20divorce%20was,that%20ever%20happened%20to%20me.%E2%80%9D|title=Megan Fairchild, the Swan with the Screwball Spark|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 22, 2017|last1=Kourlas|first1=Gia}} She is the mother of three daughters, including a pair of twins with her second husband.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/arts/dance/megan-fairchild-city-ballet-coping-at-home.html|title=A Dancer's Quarantine Diary: Coming Full Circle|work=New York times|last=Fairchild|first=Megan|date=14 April 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.refinery29.com/amp/en-us/megan-fairchild-postpartum-ballet-interview|title= Megan Fairchild On C-Section Guilt, Perfectionism & Returning To The Stage|date=3 May 2019|accessdate=15 April 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/arts/dance/ballet-baby-boom.html|title='I Wish I Got Pregnant in March!' Inside the Dance Baby Boom.|work=New York Times|last=Kourlas|first=Gia|date=April 22, 2021}} She has a degree in mathematics and economics from Fordham University{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/arts/dance/megan-fairchild-swan-lake.amp.html|title= Megan Fairchild, the Swan With the Screwball Spark|work=New York Times|date=22 September 2017|accessdate=15 April 2020}} and is currently studying for an M.B.A. at New York University.
From 2014 to 2017, Fairchild was the sister-in-law of fellow dancer Tiler Peck, through her
marriage to Megan's brother Robert.Kennedy, Mark. [https://www.apnews.com/7c2563508f044ab9ad6596d2339a8dc6 "Married ballet stars Tiler Peck, Robert Fairchild split"] apnews.com, June 19, 2017
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Award !Category !Work !Result |
|---|
| 2001
|colspan=2|Outstanding Promise |{{won}} |
| rowspan=3|2015
|Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical |rowspan=3|On The Town |{{nom}} |
| colspan=2|Theatre World Award
|{{won}} |
| Astaire Award
| Best Female Dancer | {{won}} |
References
External links
- [http://balletnews.co.uk/cupcakes-conversation-with-megan-fairchild-principal-new-york-city-ballet/ Cupcakes & Conversation with Megan Fairchild]. Ballet News. 9 July 2010.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairchild, Megan}}
Category:New York City Ballet principal dancers
Category:Artists from Salt Lake City
Category:School of American Ballet alumni