As her Miami City Ballet career soars, Taylor Naturkas rides on the wings of legendary creatures for her latest successes. After Naturkas performed the title role in Balanchine/Robbins Firebird last February, artistic director Lourdes Lopez promoted her to principal soloist. Two months later Naturkas made her debut as Odette/Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s film Swan Lake. This fall, she’s ready to dive deeper into Balanchine A Midsummer Night’s Dreamfollowing her spring guest appearance in this work with New York City Ballet.
company: Miami City Ballet
Age: 21:00 hours
Hometown: Petoskey, Michigan
Training: Crooked Tree Arts Center School of Ballet, Miami City Ballet School
The dance in the details. Naturkas joined the MCB corps in 2020. after two years at the company school, where he built his stage presence on solid foundations. The clarity of detail in her interpretations—sharp pointe work, eloquent poses, bold leaps and balances—contributes to fluid musicality. And the technical basics allow for big, eye-catching effects. Lopez noticed when Naturkas, still a student at MCB School, was rehearsing Don Quixote. “She went through the pas de deux, variation and coda, including the fuettes,” says the director. “She then went to the back and began doing pull-ups on her left leg, further strengthening her calf – a clear indication of both her talent and her work ethic.” While still a pre-pro in school, Naturkas was cast in the role of A dewdrop in its first MCB The Nutcracker:the prelude to her company contract.
Art and Life Lessons. “There were a lot of nerves,” Naturkas recalls of that initial role in the spotlight. “But I was like, ‘Just do it.’ ” She still relies on that mindset and solid preparation—skills nurtured at Crooked Tree by 2010 Dance Teacher Award winner Heather Rau. “She taught me mental strength and how to carry myself,” Naturkas says, “qualities that I carry beyond ballet into my personal life.” She: Firebird the achievement came as Raue cheered in the crowd.
Sisters and friends. In their small summer resort town on Lake Michigan, Taylor and her twin, Autumn, started dance lessons together, but quickly went their separate ways, a self-determination their parents encouraged. “Esen and I like to do different things. She is passionate about horses and now works at our father’s restaurant. But we are still best friends, we give each other advice. We always have so much catching up to do!”
Broad horizons. With every assignment, Naturkas elevates the beauty of his art. “In: Swan Lake I took everything I could from such a huge process,” she says, grateful for the opportunity to develop her acting. Working with Ratmansky left her eager to participate in his Photos from the exhibition: next year. But she adds: “It’s all so new to me. I want to be a slow dancer, a fast dancer – I want to do it all.”