Joy Womack Explained

Joy Womack
Birth Name:Joy Annabelle Womack
Birth Place:Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation:Ballet dancer
Partner:Andrew Clay (husband)
Former Groups:Bolshoi Theatre,[1] Universal Ballet, Boston Ballet, Kremlin Ballet Theatre of Moscow, Astrakhan Opera and Ballet TheatreBallet du Capitole

Joy Annabelle Womack is an American ballet dancer. She is the first American woman to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program with a red diploma, and the second American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet.[2] She was a principal dancer with the Universal Ballet and Kremlin Ballet, Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre and got a fixed-term contract with Paris Opera Ballet in January 2023.[3]

Early life and education

Womack was born one of eight children in Beverly Hills, California, and raised in Santa Monica, California and studied under Yvonne Mounsey at the Westside School of Ballet until the age of twelve when her family moved to Austin, Texas.[4] Her parents found her a Russian ballet teacher in the Austin area,[5] and she attended a dance school that specialized in the Vaganova method.[4]

She trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, and then attended the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia in 2009 after Academy teachers noticed her at that year's summer intensive.[6] She was fifteen years old at the time.[7] During her first year at the Academy, Womack was among a group of students selected to perform for a regular Bolshoi audience in a special gala, along with the stars of the Bolshoi Ballet itself; she performed despite needing surgery for a bone injury. She received the surgery later after a parishioner at her English-language church in Moscow offered to pay.

Career

Some of Womack's classical repertoire includes the roles of Giselle in Giselle, Masha in The Nutcracker, the pas de deux from Diana and Acteon, and Princess Budur in One Thousand and One Nights.

In November 2013, Womack announced in an interview with Izvestia that she was leaving the Bolshoi Ballet, which she claimed was fraught with corruption.[8] During the interview, she made allegations of extortion from an unnamed director in exchange for a solo part in a performance in September of that year.[9] Although some dancers, such as Alexander Petukhov, denied the allegations, stating, "...If she knows something, let her name those people. Why smear the theater like that?", others, such as Natalia Vyskubeno, supported Womack's account.[10] Womack herself described this time as "...like breaking up with your first love."[10]

In 2014, at the age of 19, she became a principal dancer of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre of Moscow. She left the company in 2017.[11] In 2018, she was a principal dancer with the Universal Ballet in Seoul, South Korea.[12] Womack also guest performed in Sofia National Opera and Ballet, Kraków Opera and Ballet, and The Russian State Ballet. She joined the Boston Ballet as an artist in 2019. The following year she joined the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre as prima ballerina.[3]

Womack founded the Project Prima, a supplement company that caters specifically to dancers and performance athletes.[13] As of Oct 2021, Project Prima was no longer active and the URL redirects to Womack's official website.[14] She modeled for Cloud and Victory in 2014.[15] She was a Gaynor Girl Pro Ambassador for Gaynor Minden, a dance wear and ballet brand.[16] In 2020, Gaynor Minden listed Womack as an Artist Ambassador.[17]

Womack appeared in the documentary Joy Womack: The White Swan, made by Dina Burlis, Danila Kuznetsov and Sergey Gavrilov, detailing her journey from a young American girl to becoming prima ballerina of Kremlin Ballet. It debuted in June 2020 at the Marché du Film at Cannes[18] and was released in late 2021.

In 2024, New Zealand filmmaking team James Napier Robertson and Tom Hern released a biopic called Joika, based on Womack's life during her time with the Bolshoi Ballet, with Womack serving as choreographer and consultant. Actress and classically trained dancer Talia Ryder plays Womack, with Womack as her dancing double and trainer.[19] To prepare for the role, Ryder worked with Womack and New York City Ballet principal dancer Daniel Ulbricht.[20] Diane Kruger plays Womack's ballet teacher and mentor in the film. Filming began in Poland in early 2022 [21] [22] and wrapped in Warsaw "almost hours" before Russia invaded Ukraine.[4]

Womack danced with the Paris Opera Ballet as an extra-dancer of the corps de ballet for the Balanchine show in February 2023 and performed at various galas around the world. In 2022 she joined a variety of dancers for Reunited In Dance, a gala organized by Xander Parish for dancers who were displaced due to the conflict in Ukraine.[4]

Since 2022, Joy Womack has worked with Act’ble, an innovative modular system pointe shoe brand, based in Karlsruhe, Germany. In November 2023, Act’ble released a collaborative dance film with Joy Womack titled ‘JOY'. [23]

Personal life

Womack learned to speak fluent Russian while living and working in Russia.[4] She is a Christian.[2] [24]

Womack announced her engagement to Andrew Hale Clay on September 30, 2020 via her personal YouTube channel.[25]

Filmography

-- Please note: "rowspan" breaks table sortability. -->YearTitleRoleNotes
2013Searching for PerfectionSelfShort
2017Home & FamilySelf, ballerinaTV series, 1 episode
2021Joy Womack: The White SwanSelfDocumentary
2023JoikaConsultant, dance double

Awards

In 2011 she won the Grand Prix award at the Youth America Grand Prix in Paris, France.

In 2012, Womack was awarded the Grand Prix Award at one of the 13 Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals.[26] [27] [28]

In 2013, she was awarded the Asian Grand Prix Award at the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

In 2014 she won the Globex Promotion award for Emerging Expressive Talent.

In 2014 she won the Silver Medal Arabesque Ballet Competition in Perm, Russia.

In 2015, she won 1st Prize Ballet Professional & 2nd Prize Contemporary Professional in Bari Ballet Competition Italy.[29]

In July 2016, Womack won silver medal at the International Ballet Competition at Varna, Bulgaria.[30]

In 2017 she won Gold at Korea International Ballet Competition.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Shuster . Simon . American Ballerina Quits Bolshoi, Accuses Theater of Extortion . Time . November 13, 2013 . 13 September 2022.
  2. Web site: Pointe magazine – Ballet at its Best. . Lauren . Key . August–September 2012 . . December 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151007080152/http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/augustseptember-2012/go-your-own-way . October 7, 2015 . dead .
  3. Web site: Джой Аннабель Уомак. 2021-05-19. «Астраханский Государственный Театр Оперы и Балета». ru. May 19, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210519081955/https://www.astoperahouse.ru/artists/257-dzhoy-annabel-uomak. dead.
  4. Web site: Abramovitch . Seth . 2022-11-11 . A Real-World 'Black Swan' in Exile . 2023-07-18 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  5. Joy Womack, Kristyn Burtt . 28 Nov 2017 . Joy Womack – To The Pointe with Kristyn Burtt . YouTube interview . en . 5 Oct 2023 . 4:41 . Popcorn TV.
  6. News: Teen Dancer's AMAZING Accomplishment . April 9, 2012 . . December 6, 2012.
  7. News: Young Americans Embrace Rigors of the Bolshoi . Clifford . J. Levy . May 31, 2010 . . December 6, 2012.
  8. News: Американская балерина обвинила руководство Большого в вымогательстве. Izvestia. February 3, 2015.
  9. American Ballerina Quits Bolshoi, Accuses Theater of Extortion. Time. February 3, 2015. November 13, 2013.
  10. News: Joy Womack tells a story of bribe request, struggles at the Bolshoi. Los Angeles Times. February 3, 2015. Sergei L.. Loiko. November 20, 2013.
  11. Web site: Joy Womack. Kremlin Palace. February 3, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160115145052/http://kremlinpalace.org/en/profile/joy-womack. January 15, 2016. dead.
  12. News: After Careers in Moscow and Seoul, Joy Womack Looks to Expand Her Horizons . 10 Oct 2018. 16 April 2020.
  13. Web site: Project Prima . theprimabar.com/. Project Prima . 5 Oct 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200105055917/http://theprimabar.com/ . 2020-01-05.
  14. Web site: Hi, Prima Friends . joywomack.com . Joy Womack . 5 Oct 2023 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211021220957/https://www.joywomack.com/ . 2021-10-21.
  15. Web site: Interview: Joy Womack . Min . 11 July 2014 . cloudandvictory.com . Cloud & Victory . 5 Oct 2023.
  16. Web site: Gaynor Girl Pros . dancer.com . en . Gaynor Minden . 5 Oct 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170925203938/https://dancer.com/ambassadors/gaynor-girl-pros/ . 2017-09-25.
  17. Web site: Our Ambassadors Full List . dancer.com . Gaynor Minden . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201001041541/https://dancer.com/ambassadors/see-full-list/ . 2020-10-01 . JOY WOMACK — Principal, Universal Ballet.
  18. Web site: Catching Up With Joy Womack on Two Upcoming Films Based on Her Life, Plus How She's Managed in Quarantine. August 2, 2020 . October 1, 2020.
  19. Web site: Joika . 2021 . embankmentfilms.com . Embankment Films . 5 Oct 2023.
  20. Web site: First Look at Talia Ryder, Diane Kruger in Joy Womack Biopic 'Joika . K.J. Yossman . 4 Feb 2022 . variety.com . . 5 Oct 2023.
  21. Web site: Diane Kruger & Talia Ryder Starring In Joy Womack Ballet Dancer Pic 'Joika'. September 10, 2021. Deadline. September 10, 2021 .
  22. Web site: Diane Kruger Teaming With 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' Breakout Talia Ryder for 'Joika' (Exclusive). . September 10, 2021 . September 10, 2021.
  23. Web site: Joy Womack . 2023-11-16 . act'ble . en.
  24. Web site: Ballerina Joy Womack: Faith, Sacrifice and a Life of Worship in Dance . Duncan Robinson . 12 Oct 2018 . hope1032.com.au . Hope Media . 5 Oct 2023.
  25. Web site: I GOT ENGAGED!!. . October 1, 2020.
  26. Web site: YAGP 2012 - NEW YORK CITY FINALS. Youth America Grand Prix. en-US. 2019-04-10.
  27. Web site: 2012 YAGP - PARIS, FRANCE SEMI-FINAL WINNERS. Youth America Grand Prix. en-US. 2019-04-10.
  28. Web site: YAGP Winners. Youth America Grand Prix. en-US. 2019-04-10.
  29. Web site: Awards Bari Ballet Competition. BariBalletCompetition.com. en-US. January 23, 2018. January 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180122112608/http://bariballetcompetition.com/results-of-1st-international-ballet-and-contemporary-dance-competition-domenico-modugno-in-bari-italy/. dead.
  30. Web site: IBC Varna 2016. Varna International Ballet Competition. July 31, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160112073518/http://www.varna-ibc.org/site/. January 12, 2016. dead.