Damian Woetzel: NYCB principal and Harvard student? Why not?

Last September, New York City Ballet principal dancer Damian Woetzel made a move ballet fans least expected. The 38-year old enrolled in the Mid-Career Master in Public Administration Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. In rare cases, the program admits individuals who have never attended college, provided they exhibit leadership excellence within their field. With 12 years directing the School of Ballet for New York State Summer School of the Arts, touring numerous productions of Damian Woetzel and Friends, not to mention his accomplished ballet and choreography career. Woetzel qualified.

This fall, he heads back for a second semester, and by the time he completes the winter season of NYCB, he will hold a masters degree from Harvard. Former NYCB dancer Emily Coates talked to Woetzel about his unusual choice.

What led to your decision to apply to Harvard?

The words, "what are you going to do later?" have always been in the back of my mind. I always thought I would go to college, but I started to think that may not happen. A friend suggested that I look into the Kennedy School's Public Administration program. I filed it away, went home, and the idea started taking on a life of its own. Would I be able to do this and not sacrifice the last part of my career? Because otherwise I would wait. But I loved the idea of being able to do everything.

Aside from acquiring the degree, were there other motivating factors?

I wanted to revisit that moment where I said--OK, I'm going to dance. What if I went the other way for a while? There is every chance I will stay in ballet. But I think this program will give me a healthy sense of what's out there, aside from the obvious.

Did you take the GRE?

I had a hilarious experience with the GRE. On the practice test, I did well on the English, and on math I had to brush up, so I took the Princeton Review. Three weeks later I took the test again and crashed completely. The math was the same and the English had gone down! So I found a new tutor. The third time everything was fine, and I got in.

How did it feel not to be the expert?

I expected to feel really intimidated. It wasn't like that. I was surprised at how easy it was to become a part of the process. In August, they put you through boot camp for four weeks--hours and hours of math, economics, and writing. I felt like I was doing the ultimate brain workout. When I started the real semester, it didn't seem intimidating at all.

How did you stay in shape?

I went to the Boston Ballet School, where I started when I was a kid. Mikko Nissinen made me feel at home even though I hadn't been there in 20 years. I also found a place in Harvard Square, Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre, where I went a couple days a week.

What did you focus on in your coursework?

I tried a little of this, a little of that. Turns out what interests me most is national security policy and international relations! That was my father's field. It's in my DNA.

What new skills have you acquired as a student?

The first thing I had to retune was to really engage in analysis and not just description. I realized, "You don't think like these people do, exactly. They automatically analyze things, and you are just kind of making a map." It's about looking under the surface of things, to get to the why's.

Does this make you look at ballet training differently?

Yes, it's the same thing. Asking why--why am I doing this? Why is this better? What is important about doing this? That has always come through to me in ballet class, but it's reassuring to learn that it's the same lesson: Be distinct. Make angles. Don't be just flat.

On Ballet Talk, someone wrote "Damian for President!" And someone else wrote, "... or maybe the director of ..." a major ballet company. What is your next step?

The idea of a ballet dancer running for office ... you'd have to pick your district very carefully! I'm trying not to be pinned down. I'm exploring so many different options that may only bring me back around to where I started but with a much bigger knapsack of tools. I love dancing, but it can be a very self-serving career. The next one has got to be much more about the other thing. I hope to leave some thing more than I found when I finish doing whatever I do next.

Do you feel different as a dancer now?

I feel more appreciative. I had a conversation with Violette Verdy the other day. She said, "You have so many years not to dance." I thought that was a great turn-around. What am I in such a rush for? Having already started to explore, I feel very calm about enjoying dancing. It's a good place to be.

In addition to NYCB, Emily Coates danced with the White Oak Dance Project and Twyla Tharp. She earned a B.A. in English from Yale in 2006.