Interview with Jeanette Delgado – Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer

Whilst in the UK finding a new Pointe shoe maker with our Perfect Fit team, we gave the wonderful Jeanette Delgado a tour around our London factory and managed to find a few moments spare to catch up with her and ask some questions.

Tell us about yourself?

"I’m Jeanette Delgado; a Principal Dancer at the Miami City Ballet. Miami is my home and I’ve been with the company for 14 years but I grew up in the school so around 16 years I’ve been there."

"It’s a hard question to answer but I do more of the dynamic, bravura type of roles. I also love the opportunity to get a Lyrical part, which differs from my usual type of casting, as those roles can be stressful having to use a lot of your stamina. It’s great to show a different side of yourself as an artist."

"Always a hard question as there is so many to choose from! I loved dancing ‘Rubies’ that was like a dream come true. Being a part of Balanchine’s ‘Jewels’ everyone literally feels super special because of how iconic it is. You feel like you are stepping into something that so many Ballerina’s have had the chance to do over time, and you feel a big part of that heritage. I also got to work with Patricia McBride a bunch of times, getting to dance a role like that of hers was incredible. She had so much to offer, right down to every little detail, it was a great experience to watch her in action. Unfortunately I only got to perform in this role once as I got injured around this time, so this Ballet is very special in my heart, and I’m happy to have had the chance to perform it."

"Well I actually started off in the school wearing the Freed of London ‘Studios’ because as a student they lasted longer. I loved them! I would have kept with them but the company were asking me for more in my ‘Jumping’ technique which after a while I began to realise the shoes were working against me as they were harder than I needed now I was a professional. At first it was tough to switch, I loved how I looked when I was en pointe in my Studios which made it hard to transfer to a different shoe. I first wore Maltese Cross maker for a while which were great. Then one of my friends (fellow Principal Dancer) Tricia Albertson wore F Maker and I borrowed a pair of her shoes one time and I just thought, wow these are amazing! I wore F Maker from then on for around 11/12 years."

Do you have a ritual to prepare your shoes for performing?

"Not really, I don’t do that much to them. I usually add a little bit of glue to the bottom of the shoe from the inside as soon as I get them and a little bit of glue to the sides. I do the sewing and darning too."

"It depends; if it’s a Classical Ballet with 3 acts I have 1 or 2 pairs ready for each act so 6 pairs ready to be worn. Usually I’ll only wear the shoe for one class, or maybe one class and a rehearsal and then its ready (I glue them a little more and then leave them!)."

It’s Act One, you enter where are your shoes?

"On the side of the stage! If I’m dancing and feel something is weird I can just come straight off and change them. Or during the men’s dance, we would have a little more time and if the shoes dying I will just change it."

"It’s really exciting so you have to take the moment and cherish it! When you’re older you will have been through so many shoes that the first time will be a stand out moment throughout your life. I always like to think when you’re putting on a shoe you’re putting on a glove; it has to be an extension of your body. It’s a foreign object so patience is key, your muscles will have to develop. Listen to your teachers and give yourself time!"

We’ve talked about this major injury you had which you are now recovered from, are you working in a different way now or being more cautious? Do you feel like this is going to make you become a different dancer?

"I think it’s a mix of all those things. Any injury I’ve had, big or small, you have the time away to appreciate what we do more. We get so caught up in the routine of performing and rehearsing. It’s very strenuous, yes it’s beautiful and enchanting when you’re on stage, but it’s demanding. We’re athletes and we put a lot of effort in, physically and emotionally. Having the time away is heart-breaking but it’s healthy to have that perspective and come back renewed and refreshed! Every-night I could be like ‘Grrr, I’ve got to sew these Pointe shoes etc. etc. but then, when you're injured, you miss every little aspect of being in the position we are. You also get to work with a physiotherapist, which is great. You can become so exhausted getting the best out of yourself daily that sometimes you lose the time to see where you’re going wrong or putting too much pressure."

We’ve talked about how many shoes you have prepared and the history of your Pointe shoes; do you have any sort of ritual for yourself to be performance ready?

"Sometimes I mediate for a little while and sit quietly, others I listen to a part of the Ballet I’m the most stressed about. I try to listen in a calm state of mind, where I’m letting go of thoughts, nerves and worry. I like to do this as it clears my head mentally. I use that time to open up to what’s coming, the magic of the moment."

"We recently did ‘Westside Story’ and the wig was wow! It was like literally becoming the character it was crazy fun! Usually we don’t wear wigs, maybe in Old Classical Ballets but usually in Miami we don’t wear wigs and we do our own hair."