Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Blanken

Billy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

Sure! I grew up in a very small town in Ohio. Springfield was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone, and nothing really changed. I never fit it and wanted much more with my life, but didn’t really know what that was. As a child, I fell in love with the arts: music, choir, plays, opera and especially musicals. I got involved with a local organization called the Muse Machine that completely changed the trajectory of my life. It was there that I found my community of artists, worked with amazing professionals and saw the true beauty in community. That’s when I started taking class.

After high school. I went to Ball State to study Acting and Dance. I wanted to study everything! All of it: Ballet, Shakespeare, Performance Art, Film, Modern Dance, Directing, Acting, Reader’s Theatre, Musical Theatre, Costuming, Lighting- anything I could get my hands on! I was performing and studying constantly, and starting to produce my own works.

Upon graduation, I was invited to study at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet school in New York City as a full time trainee student. This was a moment that changed the trajectory in my life forever. I was unsure of what to do, and I asked one of my teachers, Dr Michael O’Hara for advice. I will never forget the twinkle in his eyes as he answered.

“You want to be a dancer, don’t you””

“YES!” I replied.

“Go be a dancer then- you can be King Lear when you are 70” He said.

I packed up my bags and with about four hundred dollars and two suitcases, I got on a flight to New York City.

Twenty years later, I have never looked back.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

My first year in New York was brutal. The city was loud, fast, and exhilarating. Subways were a new way of life. Money was scarce and I loved every second of it.

I had never been happier.

Navigating a career in the arts is not for the faint of heart. Everything I did was for dance. I worked jobs that I didn’t care about because they gave me enough money and time off to take classes, auditions and rehearsals, It took some time, but eventually, I was able to quite all of those day jobs and dance full-time.

Life can be seen as either a series of obstacles or opportunities. I know that my training and inspiration from my teachers mentors reminded me to enjoy the process.

To be a dancer is the greatest joy one can imagine.

After retirement, I began teaching open classes in New York and working with students in pre-professional programs. Working with teens was the biggest surprise! I knew how to teach ballet, but I learned so much about teaching from their reactions and the way they respond to information. As it turn out, I really like teaching kids!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

Right now, after retirement from professional ballet, I am focused on two things primarily, Choreography and Teaching. I started Sheet Meadow Dance Theatre in 2016. SMDT is named after the 15-acre park in the center of Manhattan’s Central Park. This area is a cardinal point of calm and gathering for generations of New Yorkers. I found inspiration in its history: shepherds tending the land, concerts, celebrations, acts of patriotism and protest. The arts are a meeting place four us to come together.

I believe dance is a fundamental human right,

Interestingly enough, Queens does not have a professional ballet company- just student groups and limited professional concert dance companies. Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre is committed to filling this void, enriching the cultural landscape of Western Queens and providing the same access to all residents of New York City.

Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre has a lot of things coming up for 2025! Our main focus is to provide high-caliber dance performances and make ballet accessible. Nearly 90 percent of our performances are free to the public and take place in public areas in underserved communities in Queens. Upcoming, we have planned collabs with designers, artists and a new ballet to an original score by Dr Nick Virzi. Follow up @sheepmeadowdancetheatre and make sure to say hi if you see us performing!

I have been teaching open ballet class in NYC since 2015. It is my joy to work with dancers, beginner to professional in my classes. I respect each of their work ethic, goals and discipline. I was very blessed to work with some of the best dance teachers of the last generation and it is my supreme privilege to be able to share the love and generation knowledge that has been shared with me. I offer privates in ballet and the GYROTONIC® Expansion System.

I believe my job now is to share the gift that has been shared with me and pass it forward. In 2022, I joined the faculty at SUNY Purchase University. The BFA students at this program inspire me daily. They work so hard and have such a hunger for dance. It inspires me to watch them transition from school into the workforce. I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of educators and community.

How do you define success?

In our society, it can be tempting to define success based on engagement or income. I think that a career in the arts is a marathon, not a sprint. I am so blessed to have built a community of support around me in NYC dance community. I think that we truly can achieve more when we work together.

I wake up in the morning EXCITED. I am eager to learn. I still love to see performances and theatre. Challenges excite me.

I think that success is not to be defined, but to be lived by constant, mindful attention to detail and caring. I truly believe the small ways in which we behave, speak, care, consume, listen and respond all account for a greater whole. Excellence is created through practice and play. Success is relative, excellence is singular.

Pricing:

• 120

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sheepmeadowdanceth.wixsite.com/smdt
• Instagram: @billyblanken
• Twitter: @SMDTNYC
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@billyblanken4554
• Other: @billyblanken.bsky.social

Image Credits

Heashots- Bougie Shoot
Painted Dance Photos- Photos by Jay Krempa, Artwork by Lauren Woods Art
Umbrella- Film Still from “Asphault Muscle and Bone” Bill Hayward Photography