On the Rise: Isabella LaFreniere

Isabella LaFreniere dances like a beam of light. A member of New York City Ballet’s corps since 2014, LaFreniere, 5′ 8″, is a technical powerhouse who exudes a sweet radiance: It’s no surprise to learn that while she hasn’t danced many principal roles yet, she is being primed for them in the studio. One is Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2. As ballet master Jonathan Stafford puts it, “That’s a ballerina role big time.”

Company:
New York City Ballet

Age:
21

Hometown:
Lambertville, Michigan

Training:
Northeast Academy of Dance (Oscoda, Michigan), Southold Dance Theater (South Bend, Indiana), Joffrey Academy of Dance (Chicago) and the School of American Ballet

Accolades:
2013 Mae L. Wien Award

LaFreniere in Balanchine’s Harlequinade. Photo by Paul Kolnik, Courtesy NYCB.

Ballet battle wound:
Growing up, LaFreniere wanted to be just like her older sister. “That meant that I had to do ballet,” she says. “When I was 2, she had just learned how to do pirouettes. I was like, ‘I can do that too.’ I fell over and cracked my forehead open.” She still has a scar to prove it.

Breakout moment:
Although LaFreniere made her Dewdrop debut in last December’s Nutcracker, she doesn’t consider it her breakout. “Getting into the corps is such a learning experience,” she says. “You learn how to be your number-one advocate, because no one else is going to push for you.” Conversely, she’s also learned how to work with a group. “I don’t know if that’s a breakout, but it is a mental and emotional breakthrough.”

“She has everything that we’re looking for

to be a ballerina for these epic

Balanchine ballets.” —Jonathan Stafford

Right brain, left brain:
LaFreniere is currently taking corporate finance at Fordham University and says she got the “math gene” from her parents, who are both electrical engineers. “I like number crunching. Ballet is so subjective, but in math, two plus two always equals four.”

LaFreniere as Dewdrop. Photo by Paul Kolnik, Courtesy NYCB

Learning from a setback:
While rehearsing for the lead in Firebird, LaFreniere was sidelined by a severely strained lower back and had to cancel her debut. “It was such a bummer,” she says. “But I learned who to seek out for doctors. I’ve really been able to find a solid team that’s going to hopefully carry me through my career.”

What others are saying:
“For her, we see a really high ceiling,” says Stafford. “She’s a very clean, strong dancer, and she has a nice quality to her movement. If she ends up making it to principal one day, I think she’ll be a great role model for younger dancers.”