By Margie Smith Holt
When New York City Ballet dancer Naomi Corti takes the stage this Sunday as Dewdrop in “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” it will be her first time dancing the role since being promoted to soloist in October.
Born in Luxembourg, Corti spent her childhood in the south of France and in California (Dad’s French, Mom’s a New Yorker) before moving into the dorms at Lincoln Center to attend the School of American Ballet, NYCB’s official school, at age 13. She’s been an Upper West Sider ever since, with her sister as a roommate and her brother and many fellow corps members as neighbors.
The Rag caught up by phone (and some text followups) with the 25-year-old ballerina in between rehearsals to talk about all things Nutcracker, her favorite UWS haunts, and why spotting the Emmy-winning actress Margo Martindale means six years of good luck. The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
WSR: How long have you been on the Upper West Side?
Corti: I am 25 so it’s been 12 years now. Dancing, the dream of being in New York City Ballet, brought me here.
WSR: Sunday will be your first time performing the role of Dewdrop this season.
Corti: I’m excited! It’s one of my favorite roles I get to dance because you’re out there with all your friends—all the flowers are with you, and the music is beautiful, the costumes are beautiful. It feels like a perfect example of what New York City Ballet stands for. “The Waltz of the Flowers” is one of my favorite moments in Nutcracker.
WSR: What do you feel when you’re up there?
Corti: Something I try to think about is dancing for one person, whether you have someone in the audience or not. Trying to remember, like, this is someone’s first Nutcracker that they’re seeing. Sometimes it’s their first time seeing ballet.
Usually, it’s during bows that I really take in everyone that’s in the audience. During the Nutcracker, it’s so sold out it’s almost overwhelming when you hear them at the end of a performance, or at the end of the dance, kind of erupt. It’s a really breathtaking moment.
WSR: Describe your typical morning.
Corti: I wake up pretty early and I make my own coffee and breakfast at home. I usually will leave my apartment about an hour to an hour and a half before ballet class starts. I’ll usually leave around 8:30 or 9 a.m. I walk to and from work every day. It’s about 20 blocks, and I think it’s just the perfect way to start the morning or decompress after a show. Sometimes I’ll pick up a coffee at Frame or SOTE.
WSR: Other favorite places on the Upper West Side?
Corti: At least once a month, we all go to El Mitote and get some margaritas and some tacos. I think at any point, if you walk in, you’ll see a dancer from New York City Ballet in there! Sala Thai is one of my favorites. A classic lunch spot is Indie Food and Wine (now the Independent Café). I think they actually keep the company alive with how much they feed us! It moved from right near the Lincoln Center theater to across the street from the stage door of our theater.
Vin Sur Vingt is an absolute must for my friends. We go there probably once a week. Muffins Café is always a classic. Zabars is on my corner, and I go there way too much…We have more Zabars bags in our apartment than anything LOL!
WSR: Pre-performance spots?
Corti: I don’t think you can go wrong with [Café] Fiorello or The Smith. My parents probably go there before every single one of my performances because they get so nervous about making it in time, and they’re just pros at getting everyone seated. One of my biggest debuts was on my parents’ wedding anniversary, and I was able to get a reservation at Tatiana. That was a moment I was able to do something to say thank you to them.
WSR: How many shows do you perform?
Corti: As a corps member, I performed every show of Nutcracker unless there was the rare night off. Close to 50 performances, plus all the rehearsals. You rehearse from 10:30 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. on a show day before the performance.
WSR: And now that you’re a soloist?
Corti: I’ll probably have five to six performances a week instead of nine to 10.
WSR: What will you do with all the free time?
Corti: (Laughs) Yeah, the fun thing is, if you don’t have the show, you’re allowed to rehearse until 7 p.m. I’m still in the building. Not much changes! I get to go home and go to bed a little earlier.
WSR: What do you do when you do get a night off? Any holiday traditions?
Corti: I always buy my tree from the stands on the street. My sister and I always try to do it the day after Thanksgiving. I love going to the movies. Going to an AMC movie, especially when you can sit in the recliners, that’s like the perfect recovery! I know that sounds kind of boring… I love making floral arrangements. I’ll pick up flowers from a bodega and find ways to put them together myself. I make them for any of my friends’ debuts, any birthdays. We all live on the Upper West Side. For the most part, the entire company does. We get out of the theater probably around 11 p.m. after an 8 p.m. show, maybe even later, so it makes sense to be able to get home pretty quickly. It’s a very peaceful place to live. A lot of families. A lot of actors. It feels like a very creative place. We also go to Liberty games all summer! Though that’s in Brooklyn, it’s an easy 2/3 train away.
WSR: Central Park or Riverside?
Corti: If I’m going to meet people to have a picnic, or I’m going with a bunch of friends who have dogs and we just want to hang out, or even paint outside, then Central Park. But if it’s just me and some headphones or even a book, I’ll go to Riverside.
WSR: Favorite backstage moment?
Corti: The day I got promoted, my best friend in the company was at a concert downtown and she came all the way back up. I was in my costume on stage ready to perform. The curtain was still down. She ran out and gave me flowers and gave me a big hug. I tear up thinking about it. It was just a moment where I was like, ‘Wow. Just so much love and gratitude for the people in my life and for her.’
WSR: Anything you’d like to add?
Corti: A funny anecdote: Living on the Upper West Side, you start to have your own people that you see regularly. My sister and I will text each other or tell each other when we see Margo Martindale. Whenever we see her, we say it’s like six years of good luck. We’ve always seen her on days where good things happen. She has no clue who we are!
WSR: Maybe some people will say that about you one day!
Corti: Oh man, well, I can only dream.
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