After almost 20 years with the Pennsylvania Ballet, dancing the widest range of roles, principal dancer David Krensing has decided to hang up his tights.
He joined the company in 1986, became a soloist two years later, and has been a lead since 1996. An acknowledged MVP during many a season, Krensing performed role after role with what many agreed was subtle and steely artistic clarity. He is now performing his official final role for the company, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.
After the final dress rehearsal last month for Jerome Robbins' The Concert, he looked back over his career.
Lewis Whittington: Is this a soft retirement?
David Krensing: We have talked about me coming back and doing character roles, if all the stars align.
LW: What made you decide to retire?
DK: I'm starting to feel it more, it's more difficult to stay in shape, and you know, for the love of God, I'm 42.
LW: How did you begin?
DK: I am an anomaly because I started dancing at Stephen's College in Columbia, Mo., at 19. I went to Chicago trying to get into Hubbard Street Dance Company - I had some friends there. Someone suggested that I go to a ballet company, so I was in Milwaukee, and dancers from this company [Pennsylvania Ballet] who were guest dancers there saw me, and I was invited back here to audition.
LW: You were on a fast track?
DK: Since I had a theater background, my forte always was the character roles. I always could do them, and I also had modern-dance training, so I developed a good niche here.
LW: Will you miss the daily regimen?
DK: The daily training. Not really. I've been a physical person for so long that I'll try to maintain that as much as I can, but honestly after 25 years of taking class, I think I can move to yoga and Pilates.
LW: What about as an artist?
DK: It's part of who I am. Whether I can apply it to my next career, I don't know.
LW: Are the assumptions some people have about being a male ballet dancer changing?
DK: I like to think they are. I just did my job and didn't really care what other people thought. The stigmas are tiresome. It's still the easy joke.
LW: Did you accomplish everything with this company that you wanted?
DK: Well, you know, the pirouettes could have been cleaner, the double-tours [double turns], all of the men's stuff. But all in all, I'm very proud of my career.
LW: You questioned your technical prowess?
