Claire Kretzschmar, "At the Intersection of Faith and Dance"

Join host, Joanne Carey as she sits down with Special Guest, friend, dancer, choreography, curator , all around amazing human being! Claire Kretzschmar who recently retired as a soloist with New York City Ballet but not from the dance world! In this episode of "Dance Talk®" with Joanne Carey, you’ll discover the beautiful story of healing depicted in ‘Rhaposide’ which is based on the history of St. Bernadette, the Lourdes Sanctuary and the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Claire expresses the ability the language of movement and music has to depict the stories of the healing, wonder, faith and hope and how as dancers, we reach into the human condition, offering a place of solice and love. Claire Kretzschmar is paving the way in the dance field as a woman of faith and we sit down to discuss how she has blended the two here depicted in the ballet ‘Rhapsodie’ she choreographed at the NY Ballet Choreographic Institute in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic when she felt audiences needed to be uplifted with stories of hope and healing. Claire Kretzschmar is a former soloist dancer with New York City Ballet (NYCB) and a native of Winston-Salem, NC.  As a child, she danced at Academy of Dance Arts, Wake Forest Community Ballet, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before continuing on to the School of American Ballet for her final year of high school. She joined NYCB as a corps member in 2011 and was promoted to soloist in 2018.  With NYCB, Claire has performed featured roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, and Kyle Abraham. In 2018, she received a bachelor's degree in Communications from Fordham University, and she currently leads dance lectures, teaches ballet, and co-hosts "The Rosin Box" segment of NYCB's podcast. Claire also choreographs when the opportunities arise, and her most notable works include Rachmaninoff Suite and Rhapsodie for the New York Choreographic Institute and The Nutcracker Garage Show for the people of Winston-Salem. She is the recipient of the Janice Levin and Martin E. Segal Awards for rising artists, and she loves to spend her free time with family and friends. You can also listen to Claire's IGLive interview with Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey “Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."  Choreography: Claire Kretzschmar  Music Composition: Lauren Vandervelden  Film: Quinn Wharton. Tune in, Follow, Like us and SHARE!