We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Crowder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents supported my career as a professional ballet dancer for as long as I can remember. They recognized how important my dream of becoming a dancer was to me and they were there every step of the way without pushing me to do anything that I did not want to do. When I went to my first summer intensive (summer training programs in ballet that most ballet dancers start attending around the age of 12) they drove me there to try it out before I had to commit to the whole summer. They watched me take the class and could tell that this was what I wanted to do, but they let me tell them it was what I wanted. They never told me what to do or pushed me into something. Every step of my rigorous dance training was like this. When it was time for me to go to high school, they researched the best training programs that would also offer me a good high school education. They took me to all the auditions, encouraged me through many challenges, spent the money on lessons and pointe shoes, and helped me to keep going, but they always encouraged me to follow my dreams, not theirs. They could see that dance was who I was, and they did everything they could to foster that. It is because of this that I was able to achieve a professional career in ballet. Throughout my training and all the way through my performing career, they came to every show.

With that said, I really came to understand something else after I retired from performing to start my own dance company. They were always proud of me not for getting a good role or performing well on stage, but rather for who I was becoming through my pursuits and how passionately I was pursuing my dreams. I lost my mom just before Pegasus Contemporary Ballet launched as I was transitioning from dancer to coach/director/choreographer/founder, but because of this philosophy, I feel her immense pride and faith in me in every step that I take on my continued artistic and entrepreneurial journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a classically trained ballet dancer and I knew I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer at a very young age. At 14 I was accepted to study at Canada’s National Ballet School and I left home to attend high school at this professional training academy. I went on to have a 10-year career as a professional ballerina. In 2021, I retired from the stage to found Pegasus Contemporary Ballet, Dallas’s professional contemporary ballet company.

Over the course of my professional career, I fell in love with using ballet technique as a creative tool. Contemporary ballet describes a choreographic style that uses the foundation and technique of classical ballet in new work created by today’s choreographers and artists. Although some incredible contemporary ballet companies tour through Dallas, there was not a homegrown Dallas-based company solely dedicated to producing and performing in this genre. Some of the greatest choreographers and artists today use a ballet foundation in their work. They create innovative performances using the skills of ballet dancers. I believe that this style of choreographic work will move the needle forward on a very traditional yet beautiful art form and engage today’s audiences in new, exciting, and important ways.

The mission of Pegasus Contemporary Ballet is to use the classical foundation of ballet to express contemporary perspectives, engage diverse audiences, and enrich the human experience. We do this through interdisciplinary creative collaborations, new commissions, and engaging performances. We aim to put Dallas on the map as a national voice in this fast-growing field.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2017 I was working in a classical ballet company and I developed a hip injury that required surgery to recover. I was out for about 5 months. It is very emotionally and physically unsettling to go from being in an elite athletic condition to not being able to walk overnight. I was 23 years old and determined to continue dancing. I had a great surgeon who assured me that it was possible. It was a difficult five months, but I had amazing support. I got back to dancing and about a year later I left the classical company to begin a freelance career. The experience of my injury/recovery, followed by a big career pivot, really made me reconnect with my love for the art form and why I became a dancer in the first place. In freelancing, I had the opportunity to have more new work created on me and fell in love with contemporary ballet. I realized I could expand on my years of training and use my technique in ways that I hadn’t before, which was really freeing and fulfilling. It launched my career in a totally new direction and made me the dancer and artist I am today.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think as a whole, society could do more to recognize the legitimacy of a career in the arts, especially the performing arts. Many people do not realize that ballerinas are professionals with years of hard work and training similar to professional athletes. It is not uncommon for a ballet dancer to be asked, “but what do you do for work?” There are even Instagram accounts dedicated to calling out brands that use models posing as ballet dancers in ad campaigns instead hiring of professionally trained and accomplished ballet dancers.

As far as something individuals can do to support artists, just stay curious and try something new! Whether it is a contemporary ballet performance, a modern sculpture exhibit, a jazz band, a contemporary vocal group, or anything in between, go check it out. It is really normal to think that you need to know something about art to be able to view or enjoy it. I truly believe that this could not be further from the truth. Art is for everyone regardless of your experience level or “knowledge”, and different art is going to speak to different people in different ways. That is the beauty of it! The best way to support artists is by allowing them to share their work with you. If you like it, you found something new to enrich your life! If you don’t love it that’s ok too, you can try something else. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me after a show and said something like, “I didn’t know ballet could look like this. I’ve never been to a ballet before, but I absolutely loved it.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pegasusballet.org
• Instagram: @pegasuscontemporaryballet
• Facebook: @pegasusballet

Image Credits
Sharen Bradford DFW Dance Photography Brian Guilliaux