Watts Raises the Barre at Harvard

It’s not every day that a former principal dancer of the foremost classical ballet company in the nation comes to teach a master class at a place that values physics over pliés and government over grand jetés. Nevertheless, former New York City Ballet (NYCB) principal Heather Watts is in the middle of a stint as visiting lecturer on dramatic arts in the Harvard Dance Program, instructing a new ballet class on technique and repertory.

Last semester, Watts taught an academic class at Harvard on the work of George Balanchine, the renowned choreographer and founder of NYCB.

“I was scared to death,” says Watts when asked how she initially felt about teaching the course. Before each class, Watts says that she felt just a bit faint at the prospect of instructing a class of academic all-stars who also happened to be high-level dancers.

TEACHING AND DANCING

However, instead of the lectures and sections which made up her fall course, Watts’ spring class is hands on and requires more than a little, well, sweat.

Every Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon, some of Harvard’s most advanced ballet students fill the 60 Garden St. studio to take her intensive technique class and learn snippets of classical and contemporary choreography.

Watts decided to teach parts of famous solos to the two boys and 18 girls in her class because she wanted them to learn versatility in performance. She stresses the importance of flexibly transitioning from one style to another.

Watts uses individual attention and creative teaching methods. She knows each of her students by name and often converses with them before or after class about their progress. During the class, Watts has her students briefly watch and critique each other.

Kevin Shee ’10, a former competitor in national and international ballet competitions, praises Watts’ teaching style and her dedication to the craft. “All of us respect Heather,” he says. “She’s one of the greatest things about the Harvard dance program.”

DOING IT ALL

This is the first ballet class offered for course credit. If Watts has learned anything from her time at Harvard, it’s how difficult it is for high-level dancers to maintain their abilities while trying to earn a degree, she says.

Watts’ husband is current NYCB principal Damian Woetzel. In the fall of 2005, Woetzel began working toward a mid-career degree at the Kennedy School of Government while also maintaining his dance career.

“Watching my husband try to stay in shape and go to Harvard—well, you try to prepare for a future but go out dancing well. I mean, it’s almost impossible to do both,” Watts says.

She is especially proud of her work with seniors such as Molly M. Altenburg ’07, winner of the Suzanne Farrell dance prize. For Altenburg, and other seniors in Watts’ class, this may be the last opportunity they have to dance at a professional level.

Altenburg, who deferred college for a year to study with a professional ballet company, says that staying in top shape and practicing for countless hours daily just isn’t a viable option at any college.

“Dancing and college is just too much right now,” Altenburg says. Still, she is seriously considering pursing a professional career in neoclassical ballet.

Watts hopes that her students will continue ballet after Harvard, and still consider themselves dancers even if they choose not to pursue careers in the field.

Her advice for all those desperate bio concentrators who secretly wish to become performing artists?

“If you can’t imagine doing anything else, go for it, try,” she says. “If you already have a Harvard degree in the bank, definitely, just go for it.”

—Staff writer Erin A. May can be reached at emay@fas.harvard.edu.