I'm Gillian Murphy, American ballerina. AMA!

How did you prepare for the role of Scarecrow in Batman Begins?

in much the same way that Cillian Murphy prepared for the Sugar Plum Fairy

Hello! Have you ever made a mistake on stage? How did you handle it?

Yes and you just have to roll with it!

Hi Gillian!

I'm a 20 yo male who is just getting into ballet. I've done martial arts in the past (and present) so I'm pretty flexible and have decent body control and awareness of my positioning in space. Just wondering if you had any advice for me or if you thought there was a way I could use dance to make a living. I think it's too late but I'm not going to stop just because of that, I enjoy it far too much. Even if it's just something I do for fun I don't think I'll ever stop.

Edit: Bonus question, how should I stretch for the splits? I want to comfortably get both front and side but I've been stuck at the same spot for about 2 months.

Dance is not the most lucrative career path... we do it because we love it! I think martial arts would be great training for ballet and it's never too late to audition! And stretch when you're warm from practice and don't try this quite yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10

Hello Gillian! Thanks for coming to reddit. I made this for you, based on one of my favorite pictures! Link

Wow - thank you!

hi gillian! i was just wondering what is your favorite classical role and why? and if there was a classical role that you haven't had the opportunity to perform and still want to?

Hi, Odette/Odile because I get to be two vastly different characters in one evening plus the music is so powerful. I'd like to dance Tatiana in Onegin if I get the chance.

Who is your favorite superhero and why?

Dazzler is underrated

if you had to fight one dancer to the death who would you choose and why,

bonus: where would the fight take place( example: over a lake of fire, in the desert, maybe even in the middle of a baseball field in the middle of the night with only knives, you know night time knife fight.)

Johan Kobborg somewhere sunny so I could use his bling against him.

is there any particular reason you chose mr Kobborg, jealous, revenge, perhaps, unrequited love?

because he's always up for a joke or good prank

Hello! I'm a competitive dancer (focus on modern ballet and lyrical) and I was curious what has been your favorite ballet to perform?

I have many favorites but most recently I had a blast dancing the Bier Maiden in Bierhalle, a one-act ballet choreographed by Ethan Stiefel for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Hi Gillian, what is your favorite song to dance to?

it's cheesy but Footloose is hard to beat

How do you approach performing ballets that you have been dancing for years and do you prefer to revisit roles or learn new ballets?

New ballets push me in new directions, but I love revisiting roles and trying different nuances. I still feel like I'm learning about how to best embody the characters that I've been dancing for years.

In general, what is the most common injury amongst professional dancers and do you feel like there is a way to prevent them? And do you have any stories/experiences that you're willing to share about a personal injury or setback?

Male dancers typically have knee and back injuries due to so much jumping and lifting. Women have foot and ankle issues due to pointe work. We have amazing physical therapists who monitor and help us prevent these and other injuries. A few years ago I had a bone spur behind my ankle that had to be surgically removed, and it took a few months to get back on stage.

as someone who has been in the dance world for a very long time how do you deal with the pressure everyday to be perfect not only in dance but in your turn out and body image and flexibility as well.

Love your username! Make the most of the gifts you have. Artistry is a critical part of dancing, and I would rather watch someone who exudes musicality and passion etc. and who maybe doesn't have the best turn-out or sky-high extension.

I'm someone who's looking to start seeing more ballet and I was wondering what are your favorite ballet shows?

Great to hear! Check out Fancy Free, Rodeo, The Dream, etc.. As much as I love Swan Lake and Nutcracker, there's a breadth of ballet repertoire that people should see before they decide ballet isn't for them.

Thanks everyone! Had fun answering your questions. I'll be tweeting about dance @gillianemurphy and maybe I'll see you there. :)

Hi Gillian --- thanks for doing this AMA! Sometimes a particular performance is magical --- everything falls into place, the illusion is perfect, the audience is alive with wonder and awe, the dancers weave a perfect creation. Can you tell us about anytime this has happened for you? Do you know why it happens?

This is a feeling I love and what we live for as dancers. There's a special connection and feedback loop in live performances between the performers and the energy of the audience.

What do you hope to do once you stop performing regularly?

I hope to pass on what I've learned to the next generation of dancers and to keep contributing to the art in some way.

Hi Gillian! I got to see you, Marcelo Gomes, Misty Copeland and Sascha Radetsky do Don Quixote last week at the Kennedy Center. It was my first time seeing ABT do a full length ballet (I'd seen a lot of the mixed reps on tour) and I just have to tell you, I burst into tears during your entrance. It was so beautiful and I'm so glad I got to see all of you on the same stage. Thank you for such a gorgeous performance.

Now I got my fangirling out of the way, I have two questions

1. You've done the same roles so many times, often with the same partner. How do you keep it fresh every single performance?
2. Will you be involved in Flesh and Bones in any way? I know there are a few ABT alums involved so we're definitely going to need to see you dancing on TV more often!

Didn't mean to make you cry but thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

1) I try to be in the moment so during a performance, I'm not thinking of past shows and can respond spontaneously with my partner(s).

2) No immediate plans to be involved in Flesh and Bone, but my fiance Ethan Stiefel will be choreographing the dance sequences, and I'm excited to see dance reaching a wider audience.

Welcome to Reddit Gillian :) you're such a talented and incredible dancer. I love seeing you at ABT's MET season each year. My question is what's your daily schedule like? How does it differ when you have a performance?

I usually take ballet class in the morning for 90 minutes and then have 3 to 7 hours of rehearsal, but on a performance day, I have class, 1-2 hours of rehearsal, take a quick nap, and start getting ready 2 hours before curtain.

You are the queen of Ashton. Your Titania is THE best in the world. What's special about Ashton to you? What do you love? What do you find challenging?

Thanks! I love his sense of humor and his choreographic storytelling ability. It can be technically difficult, but I love it all. Titania, Sylvia, and Lise are three of my most favorite roles, and I'm about to dance Ashton's version of Cinderella at the Met in June.

Hi Gillian! I'm so happy you're doing an AMA on reddit...I had to good fortune of watching you in Le Corsaire back in July 2012 in Ethan's farewell performance with ABT. Absolutely stunning performance by all of you! You're one of my favorite ballerinas -- you have amazing technical skill but also you really continue to grow and explore artistically. I've always wanted to ask you the following questions...answer as many as you want! :)

1. What has been the "easiest" role for you, why? and conversely, what role did you find the most challenging and why?
2. At ABT, you've had the opportunity to dance a wide variety of roles with many dancers...can you single out a single performance or dancer that you feel has had the greatest impact on you/your career?
3. If you weren't a ballerina, what do you think you'd be doing?

Hi, thank you! The most challenging role would be Lizzie Borden because I had to exude rage, which does not come naturally.

It would be so cool if you could guest with New York City Ballet in Theme and Variations or something else. I would like to see you dance with Amar. Any chance that you could spend one evening at City Ballet?

Doubt that's in the cards but I do love Balanchine, and I'd love to dance with Amar at some point.

What do dancers generally think of contemporary ballet, especially the ones that focus on athleticism instead of an emotive story? Do they enjoy the challenge of it, etc.? Is there a difference of opinion based on a generational divide?

As dancers, we enjoy the versatility in the rep. There's a lot of athleticism within the emotive classical ballets, but everyone I know loves the adrenaline rush of athletic, contemporary ballets like Tharp's In the Upper Room.

Gillian, thank you for doing an AMA.

First off, I saw you perform Desdemona in Los Angeles years ago and you were amazing. The performance continues to be one of the best I have ever seen and I want to thank you for that moment.

Question.. I'm a professional in a midwestern company whose director decided to retire this year. Thankfully, I'm in a good place both personally and professionally to handle whatever may come next (the new AD has't been appointed yet but the hope is that the board will have someone in place by the time we start back in the fall). I was wondering if you had any words of wisdom because no matter how prepared I feel, there are definite moments of panic about the uncertainty. Thank you so much!

It's natural to feel unsettled but change is often positive. Stay optimistic and grounded in your experience and preparedness. :)

Do you like girls or nah

nah