>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO GREAT DAY WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. OUR
OUR
OUR NEXT
OUR NEXT GUEST IS ONE OF THE TOP
DANCERS AND THE WORLD
AND IS PERFORMING THIS WEEKEND
AT THE KENNEDY
CENTER.
CENTER.
CENTER. PLEASE WELCOME JAMES WHITESIDE
FROM THE
FROM THE
FROM THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
>> WELCOME BACK TO DC.
LET'S START WITH GISELE.
YOUR SHOW IS SATURDAY AT THE
KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE
REST OF THE WEEK.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN GET TICKETS AT THE
KENNEDY
KENNEDY
KENNEDY CENTER WEBSITE.
CENTER WEBSITE. THE STORY OF GISELLE IS ABOUT A
YOUNG PRINCE THAT GOES TO THE
NEIGHBORING VILLAGE
NEIGHBORING VILLAGE AND MEETS A PEASANT GIRL AND
THEY FALL IN LOVE AND
HE TRICKS HER INTO THINKING HE
IS ALSO A PEASANT.
WHEN HE FINDS OUT, HE DIES OF A
BROKEN HEART.
BROKEN HEART. A
A
A BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY.
BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY. >> WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE THE
PRINCIPAL DANCER?
PRINCIPAL DANCER? DO
DO
DO YOU
DO YOU THRIVE ON THAT ADRENALINE?
>> IT IS MY DREAM.
I WAS 12 YEARS OLD WHEN I
FIRST SAW AMERICAN BALLET
THEATER.
THEATER.
THEATER. AND I KNEW THAT
I WANTED TO BE ON THE STAGE.
AND GISELLE IS THE
FIRST PRINCIPLE ROLE THAT I
EVER DID.
EVER DID.
EVER DID. >> HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> 1 MILLION YEARS AGO.
TRULY.
TRULY.
TRULY. IT
TRULY. IT JUST FEELS
GOOD TO COME BACK TO THIS PART.
>> WE ARE WATCHING A MUSIC
VIDEO YOU SHOT.
YOU
YOU
YOU ARE
YOU ARE ALSO AN ARTIST.
YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PERSONAS
IN YOUR LIFE.
LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
>> STAYING BUSY.
>> BALLET IS PROBABLY YOUR
FIRST LOVE.
FIRST LOVE. HOW DOES
HOW DOES
HOW DOES THAT TRANSLATE INTO EVERYTHING
ELSE?
ELSE?
ELSE? >>
ELSE? >> I STARTED WITH ACROBATICS.
I HAVE AN AFFINITY
FOR OTHER STYLES AND I LOVE TO
MAKE MUSIC AND BE
CREATIVE.
CREATIVE.
CREATIVE. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
EXPLORE
EXPLORE
EXPLORE DIFFERENT OUTLETS AS AN ARTIST.
>> DO YOU HAVE A TYPICAL DAY
OR IS EVERY DAY AT
DIFFERENT?
DIFFERENT? >> WE TOUR A LOT AND WE
PERFORM A LOT IN NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY.
CITY. WE
CITY. WE START AT 10:00 A.M.
AT THE STUDIOS IN NEW
YORK CITY.
YORK CITY. HOUR AND A HALF BALLET CLASS.
SO WE CAN
SO WE CAN
SO WE CAN REHEARSE FOR UP TO SEVEN HOURS.
IT IS A LONG AND
GRUELING DAY.
GRUELING DAY. >> DOING A SHOW IS ALMOST
EASIER THAN THE
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE.
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND PEOPLE CLAP FOR YOU.
>> SPEAKING OF WHICH, CAN YOU
SHOW US SOME MOVES?
>> WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
YOUR WALLFLOWERS
YOUR WALLFLOWERS SONG.
SONG.
SONG. >>
SONG. >> I WROTE A SONG CALLED
WILDFLOWER.
WILDFLOWER. YOU WILL
YOU WILL
YOU WILL ROCK BACK AND FORTH FROM YOUR
RIGHT FOOT TO YOUR
LEFT FOOT AND YOUR ARMS WILL
SWIPE ACROSS.
SWIPE ACROSS. 1-2-3.
1-2-3.
1-2-3. LEFT, RIGHT.
LEFT, RIGHT. LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT.
WE HAVE MUSIC.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪. >> LIGHTLY.
>> LIGHTLY. LIGHTLY.
LIGHTLY.
LIGHTLY. >> 6-7-8. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪.
>> THERE YOU GO.
VERY GOOD.
VERY GOOD. KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING. >> I'M OFF A LITTLE BIT.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. THAT IS ENOUGH OF THAT.
>> IT IS ALMOST KIND OF
THERAPEUTIC.
THERAPEUTIC. >> IT IS A LITTLE MEDITATION.
I THINK YOU SHOULD
JOIN US FOR THE 80TH
ANNIVERSARY SEASON.
ANNIVERSARY SEASON. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> SO SOMETHING FROM GISELLE.
>> GISELLE IS AT THE KENNEDY
CENTER.
CENTER.
CENTER. YOU WILL
YOU WILL
YOU WILL TAKE YOUR RIGHT FOOT AND TAKE
IT OUT AND IN AND
STEP, BRUSH THROUGH.
THIS ONE IS A LITTLE MORE
ADVANCED.
ADVANCED.
ADVANCED. >> YOU WANT TO BE IN THE
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE. WE WILL GIVE YOU
A LITTLE SUPPORT.
>> IT IS JUST SOLID.
>> STEP THROUGH.
THIS IS A VERY ROMANTIC PART OF
THE BALLET IN WHICH WE ACTUALLY
FALL IN LOVE IN THE
VILLAGE.
VILLAGE.
VILLAGE. CLEARLY WE ARE NOT FALLING IN
LOVE RIGHT
LOVE RIGHT NOW.
NOW.
NOW. WE
NOW. WE CAN DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
>> I GOT IT.
>> KRISTEN, WELL DONE.
>> TAKING ME BACK TO MY BALLET
DAYS AS A KID.
>> I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY
MARKER.
MARKER.
MARKER. >> YOU SAW THE PICTURE.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE
BEST SHAPE.
BEST SHAPE. ASIDE FROM DANCING, WHAT IS
YOUR
YOUR
YOUR TRAINING LIKE?
TRAINING LIKE? >> I DO CROSSTRAINING AS WELL.
I HAVE BEEN DOING
THIS SINCE I WAS NINE YEARS
OLD.
OLD.
OLD. IT
OLD. IT IS JUST THE
BEST POSSIBLE ACTIVITY FOR A
CHILD.
CHILD.
CHILD. SPEAKING OF
SPEAKING OF WHICH ON SUNDAY AT THE KENNEDY
CENTER AT 11:00 A.M.,
BRING YOUR KIDS 10 YEARS OLD OR
YOUNGER FOR A FREE
MOVEMENT WORKSHOP.
MOVEMENT WORKSHOP. GET TO THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR A
MOVEMENT WORKSHOP SUNDAY AT
11:00.
11:00.
11:00. >>
11:00. >> JAMES, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. CHECK THIS
CHECK THIS OUT AT THE