On stage, around the world
Former Yuman Crystal Brothers wraps impressive ballet career
Crystal Brothers had an amazing career as a professional ballerina spanning 25 years on stages around the world, first with Boston Ballet II, then with Ballet Memphis.
But she remembers fondly her roots in a dance studio in Yuma that began when she was 7. She recently returned to those roots to lead a dance workshop at Ballet Yuma, smiling as she watched over the young dancers going through their paces.
“It’s so fun to be back,” she said, lapsing into the Tennessee accent she picked up during her long tenure with Ballet Memphis. “I love coming back. It’s a thank you to my teachers who laid the foundation for my dancing.”
Furthermore, she said, it’s good for her soul to be passing on her love of dancing and the knowledge
of the art she’s gained over the years.
And, she added, “I get some hugs.”
It all started when she walked into a beginning ballet class at age 7. “She took her place at the barre and I can remember thinking that she did everything so simply and direct, like she had been a ballerina in a previous life,” recalled Kathleen Sinclair, artistic director for Ballet Yuma and Yuma Ballet Academy, who was Crystal’s first instructor.
Crystal recalled being “hooked” the first hour. “I had a lot of excess energy that needed to be channeled into an art form. I loved it as soon as I learned something. I loved dancing to music … getting outside myself and acting and dancing and expressing my feelings.”
At the time, she had no idea someone could be a professional dancer, she said. “I never dreamed it could happen to me. I
“I had a lot of excess energy that needed to be channeled into an art form. I loved it as soon as I learned something.”
thought I would do something with animals. That’s a real job.”
That first fall she was an angel in Ballet Yuma’s annual Christmas production of “The Nutcracker.” Two years later she danced the coveted role of Clara. Then as a teenager, she had the unprecedented opportunity for a student to dance the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in the production.
“Crystal (along with fellow student Callye Robinson) were the only student dancers we ever allowed to dance the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Yuma’s ‘Nutcracker’,” Sinclair said. “They were sophomores in high school and both so strong that we decided that instead of hiring a guest couple we would only hire a male dancer and allow them to perform this coveted role. Both were wonderful and both, of course, went on to have stellar professional careers — Callye with Miami City Ballet and Les Grands Ballet Canadiend de Montreal and, of course, Crystal with Boston Ballet and Ballet Memphis.”
It nearly didn’t happen. “Once when she was about 10 and in fifth grade, she came up to me and said she was quitting ballet to ride horses,” Sinclair recalled. “I was in shock as she was already showing great talent and a real love for ballet. I had some of our older company girls corral her in the dressing room and convince her that quitting ballet would be a big mistake.”
At 13, Crystal was accepted into a summer dance program in New York City. The experience was a big boost to her self-confidence and a great learning experience, meeting dancers from all over and being exposed to different instructors.
Her first dancing job was performing Super Plum Fairy as a guest artist in Eureka at 16. “I earned $300 … put it right into the checking account I had just opened.”
Upon graduation at age 17, she was accepted by Boston Ballet II. “That was a very big deal for someone from Yuma being accepted into the company from school.” Crystal said.
After two years in Boston, she wanted a new dance home and for six weeks, rode the bus every weekend from Boston to New York City for auditions being held by Ballet Memphis. “It was a cattle call,” she said, attended by hundreds of female dancers vying for just a few positions. “I made the cut,” she said.
And thus began her 23 years with Ballet Memphis, rising from an understudy for several years to a lead role in “Firebird.” Over the years as the company’s prima ballerina, she had her favorite roles, such as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet.” “You go through a range of emotions,” Crystal said. “It’s hard to be vulnerable and bare your soul on stage. It’s scary but liberating.” Another favorite was dancing both as the white swan (Odette) and black swan (Odile) in “Swan Lake.” The latter “was nasty and evil and I had the time of my life,” Crystal said of that role.
She also danced Sugar Plum Fairy 10 times, coming back to reprise her role in Yuma a couple of times.
The world of dance wasn’t all glamour. “I did a lot of touring,” Crystal said. “It’s hard not being in your own bed, being on a bus or plane. But performing for different audiences can be magical.”
It also was a constant challenge to maintain herself physically and avoid injuries that too often end a dancer’s career.
At 19, when she was hired by Ballet Memphis, her warm-ups took 15 to 20 minutes. At 42, it was taking two hours. That’s when she knew it was time to retire.
“I made it to 42,” she said. “That’s pretty incredible. I wanted to go out on top. The average age of a dancer to retire is 28. Ballet is beautiful, but it’s hard on the body.”
She kept going through hard work, extensive warm-ups, the practice of Pilates, padding her toes and living with pain.
Her time with the company has included professional highs. After a performance in New York City, she was named one of the top eight dancers in the world to watch. The Tennessee Arts Commission honored her, and at her very last performance with Ballet Memphis, she was presented with the mayor’s proclamation for her achievement in excellence.
She also suffered loss. Her husband, musician and songwriter Steve Reid, died four years ago of a heart attack. She was in Yuma at the time and had a police officer inform her over the telephone that her husband was dead.
“I’m grateful I was among friends,” she said.
Her last performance with Ballet Memphis was May 25 so it hasn’t really hit yet that she is retired. But she intends to stay busy. She’s been teaching Pilates and ballet and in August she will start classes at the Massage Institute of Memphis to learn massage. After all, she said, “I know every place in the body that can hurt and I’ve had a lot of practice (working out sore places).”
And in October she will return to the stage in the role of the white cat in a production of “Cats” by Theater Memphis.
She concluded: “I’m happy with what I’ve done. I’ve had some amazing roles. I wanted to go out at the peak … my choice. I will miss dancing but not the pain and stress as the top dancer in the company. But I’m still connected, I’m teaching and passing on the art form.”