Patricia McBride
Patricia McBride
Patricia McBrideis a ballerina who spent nearly 30 years dancing with the New York City Ballet...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDancer
Date of Birth23 August 1942
CountryUnited States of America
dancing felt gave good
I always had an inferiority complex, like I wasn't good enough. I was shy. But dancing gave me so much joy, and I was good at it. I felt like a whole person because I could dance.
danced sad
I want to be happy, to look back and feel I danced well at the end of my career and didn't dwindle off. It would be too sad.
knew partner
Conrad Ludlow was an extraordinary partner... We just called him the greatest partner because he just knew what a woman's balance was.
ballets cherish
I cherish the ballets made for myself by Mr. Balanchine. He never lost his temper. He was quiet, humble, the genius of the 20th century.
jacques man tallest time
I danced with Jacques d'Amboise. At that time, he was the tallest man in the company. So it was a different kind of choreography. It was lyrical.
looked towards
I felt that Balanchine was my father towards me. He was the person I most admired and looked up to.
excited exhausting hard teaching
I used to say I didn't want to teach. I was still excited about dancing. It's hard to do both. It's as exhausting teaching as it is to dance.
meet obama pleasure
It was a pleasure to meet President Obama and Michelle. I'm not a political person, but I admire what he has done.
men
Most ballets are more interesting than most men.
ballets
The ballets you do make you into the final product you are. And I had extraordinary partners.
expected fantastic happy mom push stage strength thankful
I am just so thankful that my mom was a fantastic mom. She wasn't a stage mother; she didn't push me. She was happy if I was happy. We are so different. I was very shy; my mom did all the talking. She was my strength. She never expected that I would be this ballerina.
ballerina ballets beyond dreams hope junior remember scotch wildest worked
I remember my dreams when I was a junior soloist. 'Oh, I hope I don't end here,' I thought. 'I want to do the ballerina in 'Scotch Symphony.' I don't want to be the little Scotch girl.' And I actually went beyond my wildest dreams. I worked with Balanchine. I had ballets choreographed for me.
exact taught
In the beginning, he taught you how to hold your fingers, use your head, hold your shoulders, how you glissade, bourre - the exact way he wanted you to do the steps. It was relearning the whole Balanchine technique.
ballet came change company dancing devoted great liked loved presence trusted
Mr. Balanchine was a great gentleman, and he loved his dancers. He was devoted to his company. He came to the ballet every night, and his presence was felt. It was like the whole company was dancing for him. And if he liked you, he trusted you to be yourself. He didn't try to change you and make you into something you were not.