Jonathan Chmelensky was about to premiere the lead role in John Neumeier's Mahler's Third Symphony when the Danish prime minister announced the country was shutting down for COVID — eyeliner still on his face from rehearsal. The premiere got postponed. When it finally happened, his performance won him Denmark's Reumert Award for Dancer of the Year.

In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Jonathan Chmelensky — principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, trained in Paris and Havana, and the 2021 Reumert Award winner for Dancer of the Year. They talk about growing up in a family of dancers, the four days in Cuba that turned into a contract with the Royal Danish Ballet, the night he found out he'd been promoted to principal at his Swan Lake premiere, what two months away from the stage taught him about listening to his body, and how he defines success now that the title was never really the point.

TIMESTAMPS:

[06:55] Getting Discovered in Cuba and a Contract from the Royal Danish Ballet
[10:54] His Swan Lake Premiere and the Night He Found Out He Was a Principal
[33:24] Redefining Success — On and Off the Stage

ABOUT THE GUEST: Jonathan Chmelensky is a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet. Born in Paris into a family of dancers, he trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the National Ballet School of Cuba before joining the Royal Danish Ballet, where he was promoted to principal dancer following his premiere as Siegfried in Swan Lake. In 2021, he received Denmark's Reumert Award for Dancer of the Year for his performance in John Neumeier's Mahler's Third Symphony.

ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence.

CONNECT:

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Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com

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Topics discussed: Jonathan Chmelensky interview, Royal Danish Ballet, Reumert Award, ballet promotion story, ballet injury recovery, ballet and identity, pandemic and ballet, advice for young dancers

Guest: Jonathan Chmelensky — Principal Dancer, Royal Danish Ballet

Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com