My First Time Dancing Sugarplum

[@madeline2282]

3:27 not gonna lie I'm so happy I finally know how they do that...I thought they just darned their pointe shoes to high heavens

[@kathryn_morgan]

Haha love it

[@kagevans]

Same! I was trying to get my husband to drag me across the floor en pointe and it just wasn't happening 😂😂😂

[@andreawallenberger2668]

It's magic! #stagemagic LMAO I

[@cf8595]

I'm so curious if it leaves a small tripping hazard on the stage. How is the stage smooth along that line?

[@katherinekilpatrick9971]

I love Balanchine’s Nutcracker! However, as a dancer, I have to say my favorite variation is the Marzipan one so it’s sad that it’s not fully appreciated by audiences.

[@jenlouise1831]

Sat in a hospital bed after collapsing multiple times over the past few days. You’ve never failed to make me smile. Much love X

[@freak91464]

hope you get better soon!!

[@ktsempai1106]

Oh no! Hope you feel better soon!

[@balletmeli]

🙏 that you get better

[@caithawkins2738]

Thank you for acknowledging how difficult how hard Marzipan is! I’ve done the lead in it for the last three years and it is brutal! I feel like no one notices how hard it really is.

[@camilla9196]

Could you possibly do a video about how you memorize every part in core dances such as flowers? Like how do you memorize all of the different directions in the core?

[@gracefully_ever_after]

I’m seventeen and I’m dancing sugarplum for my first time with my dance company! 💜 just had our first dress rehearsal today!!!

[@julijepp]

How did it go?! 🥳

[@gracefully_ever_after]

@@julijepp it went so amazing! Thank you so much for asking! (I also have a show vlog on my channel if you would like to check it out! 😊)

[@VeryMerryKim]

I danced with Megan Fairchild when we were little. And very briefly. We auditioned for Ballet West's Nutcracker when were... 8? Anyway! That's my claim to fame. Love your videos!!

[@colleenwerner2922]

Love getting to hear these stories! And appreciate the reassurance around mistakes and mishaps on stage - I’m dancing my first Nutcracker in 2 weeks and I haven’t had a ballet performance since 2015, before I started recovering from my eating disorder, so I’m so anxious about getting back on stage and dancing my first Nutcracker!

[@mcgil8891]

Oooh how did it go?

[@joshcrittendon9416]

I've always been rather annoyed by the fact that Marzipan is never as appreciated as Russian, because it's just as difficult. Every Nutcracker I've been to, people go *wild* for Russian, while the Marzipan get very minimal applause. #justiceformarzipan

[@meaghan8740]

So interesting and enjoyable to hear these stories!! Your makeup looks awesome! Love that lipstick!

[@kathryn_morgan]

Thanks so much!

[@marianarodrigues8826]

God, you are absolutely glowing! Ever since you got into MCB every new video you upload you are even more gorgeous!

[@Teverell]

I don't know if it's something you've thought about, but would you be able to do some sort of comparison between the Balanchine/NYCB version of Nutcracker and the Royal Ballet version of it - the different names of the divertissements, for instance (I *think* NYCB's Marzipan is to the same music as the RB's Dance of the Reed Flutes). Even if you can't show photos or clips, just talking about it would be nice! Love these insights! Hope you're having a good season so far - I'd love to come see you in performance but I'm in the UK and it's extremely unlikely to ever happen.

[@bellahawley]

omg i want to see you so bad i live in florida, i have 5 parts this year for nutcracker with ABS. i am such a big fan !!!!

[@saeedawhitaker2460]

Yay perfect timing with the start of Christmastime!

[@posypoodle6034]

‘Take off your tiara’ Awwwwwww x

[@Hans6789-j9t]

and so true that solo just does not end....!! But people love that sugarplum music

[@Elong.]

What an exhausting yet thrilling opportunity to dance all those dances!

[@Hans6789-j9t]

So lucky to be able to work with Merrill Ashley ... She is an underrecognized national treasure ... I cannot imagine working with her 🌻🌻🌻

[@daffo595]

MARZIPAN IS MY FAV IN NUTCRACKER THERE ARE THOSE OF US OUT THERE WHO CARE ABOUT MARZIPAN

[@isabellagiardini3706]

Daph Duck I KNOW RIGHT LIKE LEAD MARZI IS MY DREEAAAM ROLE

[@LauraCowanEsqCPA]

I adore these videos! I live in NYC and saw all of Katie's debuts. It is a true pleasure watching her dance. So fun keeping up with all the great things she is doing today!

[@najah7781]

oh my god I had that exact same video tape with Macaulay Culkin. I danced around in my living room every day and my grandma (who is a great seamstress) made me a Polchinelle girl costume with the blue dress and little pompoms and all.

[@jessieborrell1856]

Love these stories and hearing about your experiences! I'm taking my daughter to see PNB do Nutcracker and I'm so excited for her. We have already watched the movie once this season haha

[@brendaswanson6629]

Your so beautiful 😍 and your "how to do" pirouette helped me so much and I love your way of teaching.. I love your humor and I always look forward to your videos

[@lourdes5110]

I’ve been watching your videos for 3 years and I still love them

[@Hans6789-j9t]

My goodness, you have never looked more at peace and happier., and more lovely. So impressive

[@Poppy-]

This soooo interesting and informative. All those technicalities of hit or miss 😱 As an adult beginner, I can't even imagine how hard it is to learn all those parts and be able to "switch" on demand. (Last week we just learned glissade assemblé and I'm still confused) Hope I'll be able to see Nutcracker from Les Grands Ballets Canadiens this week. Edit: just bought my ticket for Friday 🎫😁

[@Poppy-]

I had a great seat (and a wonderful time) in the loge balcon, which enabled me to see closer the dancers. At a moment there was a pompom or something on stage. One of the ballerinas cleverly kick it out with her pointe shoe. I'm pretty sure not many noticed, and others didn't trip on it 😉

[@2snowgirl520]

I love the Marzipan and Coffee costumes.

[@theemilys7140]

I love hearing your stories! Thank you for sharing them with us 💕

[@prettypawszoe5497]

One of my childhood dreams was to learn ballet. 😂 But...India🤷🏻‍♀️ So Im living vicariously through your stories. 🥰

[@minineli6676]

Same. I live in small city in Poland and the nearest ballet studio is like 40 minutes from my city it wouldn't be a problem but I don't have driving licence and there is no bus connection between this cities

[@frozenlettuce6593]

Poland as well 🙂

[@Anna-vz5jl]

Beautiful I’ve been feeling so depressed… watching your video Kathryn took my mind off everything. I like how honest you are thank you for all the behind the scenes . 🩰

[@marlowe5767]

I love #onceuponapointe ❤️❤️

[@vikkig230]

i love onceuponapointe!! it would be so cool to travel to miami and see you!!

[@seaofglass77]

This is so interesting! Especially going on with a new partner just before performing. And little dramas of mishearing someone. I hope that got cleared up!

[@joanafernandes6316]

Are you doing vlogmas this year Katie? You look stunning and happy ❤️❤️

[@kathryn_morgan]

Not this year! but thank you!

[@PBJ1989]

“Can we hurry this along please?” ... had me dying! 😂😂😂😂

[@jessahartley4714]

So awesome that you got to dance Sugar Plum on Christmas Eve!! I know you were beautiful. You are such an inspiration to me!! Do you have any tips for flying shoulder sits? I'm doing Sugar Plum in a couple of weeks and my ballet teacher wants us to do one in the pas...

[@penelopepolinsneemeyer4757]

Thank you for sharing this story with us, Katie xxxxxxx

[@theempress1104]

Hi Katie, I love your stories! I always wanted to be a ballet dancer but we didn't have the money for it and I feel like listening to your stories lets me experience it vicariously. 😊

[@marinakrebs2904]

You dance so beautifully! 💙💙💙 You're so light

[@ballerinafromtheblock]

Danced my FIRST full nutcracker as THE nutcracker and what you said about just kind of pushing past mistakes is definitely something that this experience taught me. Thankfully I got to do my weekend of shows and luxuriate in my performance after but it gave me time to process that I don’t make as many mistakes as I thought I would and the ones that I did make were small and probably not noticeable.

[@shruthinarayanan276]

Hi Katie, I just wanted to say that you look so happy and healthy and your hair looks great!

[@giads7110]

I love this series! My school doesn't do nutcracker (rare I know) but I always love watching it! Hearing your stories makes me so excited and inspired!

[@niamhnealon2455]

I love your videos they are incredibly inspirational and show people how to persevere. how many people in the company don’t have a flat fifth? Thank you for amazing uploading videos.

[@nancy8070]

Really enjoy these stories from your performing experiences. Keep them coming!

[@theacademy7946]

Great work! I love to see more picture and footage of your performances if possible. :)

[@gmochrie7439]

Beautiful makeup! Great story

[@pedinurse1]

Kathryn have you ever seen Sacramento Ballets Nutcracker? Of course I love Balanchine's but Sac did a great job on creating a ballet with alot more action and mime. It truly is beautiful and we have seen it about 25 times in in 25 yrs!!!

[@2snowgirl520]

Interesting! I always wondered how that gliding arabesque was done!

[@danceballetacro]

7.12 absolutely gorgeous!!!

[@Haileyb613]

I danced Sugarplum twice when I was dancing, but I always like Marzipan best. I was not on this caliber at all, but I still totally know what you mean about the audience. They're hardly paying attention!

[@suzyanscombe8246]

Please can you do a video for how to improve centre work (I.e. Tendus, degages, rond de Jambes , grand battements in the centre)? Thank you 💞

[@therealkmccoy]

Balanchine’s Marzipan is my absolute FAVORITE part of Nutcracker.

[@ericagoehring1089]

I love your stories!

[@thisisntmyworld798]

Εverything is white and I am HERE for it

[@Irisheddy]

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets Lookin' for soul food and a place to eat Went to the Apollo You should have seen him go, go, go They said, hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side I said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, alright, huh

[@twoofakindOGDC]

Irisheddy #LouReed✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼

[@karenkaren3189]

I would be so interested in your opinion about the Balanchine Nutcracker and the RB Nutcracker. I saw the NYCB last December live and right after, the RB posted their 2018 version. Honestly, to me while of course the Balanchine version is wonderful, the RB version is better.

[@gundaryazapova9924]

Hello, loved this video! Could you talk about your experience as the dewdrop fairy, I could really use some insight on the role :)

[@beatrizarevalom]

Will you be performing sugar with MCB on the 18th?? I’ll be watching then, I’d love to watch my inspiration!

[@ivansantrizos8483]

"When is this gonna end? It's kinda like the Aurora solos." Kathryn, welcome to Russian culture and the wonderful world of Russian storytelling through choreography:)

[@mariana_palazuelos]

Kathy, could you maybe make a video addresing like image rights/releases. Once I had a problem with a producer because even wihtout me signing any type of release for the images they took during one show, they told me that I could not use them for other purposes (I used them for a fundraiser I made to attend to a ballet summer intensive) plus they don't let me get a copy of the video of the dance I danced.

[@reinettestreasures6198]

Marzipan was always my favorite.

[@Myanai]

Maybe Tyler had some sort of health snafu or something that week? That is so odd XD! Also, did you talk to him about the six year old misunderstanding after that show? That must have felt like a ton of bricks on you D:...

[@kathryn_morgan]

I never did! He might not even remember!

[@brbwlk]

You discussed getting apprentice contract, but not getting corp contract.

[@madelynsouder4970]

Hi Katherine! Do you have any tips for hyper extinction?

[@kirramccarty]

I love you Kathryn. New video please??!

[@Brenna_Ellie]

Awe poor Tyler lol

[@kendellecusick6154]

Hi I was wondering if you could do a video on lower back stretches and relief please

[@kendalldenney]

New Katie shirt: "Take off your tiara and put on your flowers costume; you're needed in the corps. #realitycheck"

[@biologynerd3]

I love these stories, thank you for doing them! Just curious, is it typical for core members to be picked to do those solo roles? It seems to me that the title "soloist" implies that only those and principles would get solo roles. Was it unusual to the company that you got to do such amazing roles as a core member?

[@JGreen-le8xx]

Katie ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😄

[@sarahbalding3874]

I want to be a professional so so badly and have been training in dance (various styles) for 13 yrs (I am currently 16) but my parents don't understand that what they see on TV and online isn't always an accurate representation of what being in a professional company is like so they don't think I am good enough (I am not super flexible due to chronicly tight hamstrings) but my teachers have said that I am a good dancer and I know my teachers are who I should be listening to for this but it is hard to not listen to my parents

[@alixinitalics]

Do you think it's realistic to audition for SAB if you don't have the facility?

[@elisabethm3170]

Quick question Katie what pointe shoe brand are you currently wearing?

[@BoglimWrangler666]

she wears suffolk

[@charliefields3859]

I love the audience reaction to Marzipan at 5:10 😂😂😭

[@isabellapagani2223]

Omg 5:11 happens so often in difficult ballet variations it’s so annoying for the dancer

[@catherinekendrick3670]

I’m grandma in the nutcracker. I would love to see what you did lol

[@lynnrose7562]

You are so elegant.

[@yeelenasanchez5741]

Someone help my pointe shoes won't stop squeaking ! Any tips to why they're doing this @KathrynMorgan

[@chloemarcellino8672]

I’m so scared about nutcracker. My school are doing a small version and I’m doing few drop fairy. I’ve played Clara before and snow but I’m more of an adagio dancer and dew drop is a lot of allegro. Any tips

[@gracechen2813]

I'll bet you would've been one of the youngest principals at nycb

[@princekrazie]

Omigod, who thought the Sugar lady was actually being dragged? Where even is the little disc? I can't see it.

[@lasylphide-s5j]

So NYCB sugar plum is nothing like the RB 22 min long (with solos) grueling Sugar Plum You know when the director chooses you early in your career it’s usually because they see something special in you💖

[@genlyai5055]

What part of her video did you miss? Balanchine's Sugar Plum variation (AND the pdd) is harder than the awful Royal version; the only difference is where the variation is placed. ALL other companies, hardly just Royal, do the pdd as one group, and most other companies' choreo is much harder than Royal's!

[@zuzana930]

[@gracechen2813]

I thought this was for Miami city ballet...😭