Q: What about your children makes you laugh?
A: Our son, William, has a very good sense of humor—everything about him is charming and sweet!
Q: What is your favorite family ritual?
A: We've got a lot of things we like to do together, but it doesn't really matter what we're doing. We make a point to just enjoy family time and notice when we're having it, whether it's dinner together, watching a movie together, going on a trip, or just going to the playground.
Q: What was your most frazzled mom moment?
A: The other day, the baby [Josephine] was sleeping, so I decided to give my son a haircut. When we were in the middle of the haircut, the baby woke up crying. We also have an 18-year-old dog who was sick in the bathroom. So the baby started crying; William had had enough of the haircut and wanted to get in the shower; but he couldn't get in the shower because there was a mess in the bathroom from the sick dog. I had to nurse the baby and get her to settle down, William was running around naked with hair all over his shoulders, I had to clean up the bathroom so William could get in the shower, and then I had to clean him up from his haircut. It was like a three-ring circus, but that's just sort of a typical day when you're a mom.
Q: What parenting issue do you and your partner disagree most about?
A: I can't really think of anything that we don't feel similarly about. Just getting on the same page is the biggest challenge.
Q: What do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about?
A: Right now I'm just waking up in the middle of the night all of the time to feed the baby. When I'm not waking up in the middle of the night, I'm so tired that I usually sleep pretty solidly.
Q: What do you wish you had done before you had children?
A: I had a very long and fulfilling career and am still actively dancing. I think that when you have children later in life, you really appreciate having them. If anything, I wish that I had had children earlier.
Q: What is a typical Saturday morning in your house like?
A: We work on Saturdays, so it's not as relaxed, but sometimes William will come down to the studios with us and hang out there.
Q: Has William shown any interest in dancing?
A: He's not interested in taking any classes, but he loves to dance and interpret music. He loves different kinds of music and does different kinds of dances according to how he feels. It's very beautiful to watch. If you ask him if he wants to take any classes, though, he says, "Nooo...."
Q: Do you think you or your husband will pressure him to pursue dance?
A: I don't think so—we just say, "If you want to take classes, just let us know." We don't want to overly influence him to follow in our footsteps, and he's already exposed so much to ballet—he's at the theater; he watches performances; he goes on tour; he travels all over the world with us. He's exposed to all of the beautiful aspects of the dance world, and he's reaping all the benefits without taking classes. The essence of what we wanted him to know about dance is not how you do it, but the bigger picture.
WHAT'S YOUR...
...guiltiest pleasure?
Surfing the Internet.
...ideal getaway?
Getting away to our cabin in the Berkshires or going to the beach.
...favorite clothing item?
I'm always in a leotard and tights, and while I enjoy and admire fashion, it's not really a part of my life. I basically just go to work on the subway, change my clothes at the studio, and then I'm in dance clothes all day.
...current reading material?
The last book that I read was The Good Journey by Micaela Gilchrist.
WHAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE...
...chocolate or cheese?
I love them both!
...cook at home or eat takeout?
Cook at home—my husband cooks.
...coddle your tot or let him cry it out?
Oh, coddle—I'm a cuddler. Yeah, no crying it out. I can't handle that.
