Her career soaring at Miami City Ballet, Taylor Naturkas has ridden on the wings of fabled creatures for her latest successes. After Naturkas performed the titular role in the Balanchine/Robbins Firebird last February, artistic director Lourdes Lopez promoted her to principal soloist. Two months later, Naturkas debuted as Odette/Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake. This fall she’s ready for a deeper dive into Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, after her spring guest appearance in this work with New York City Ballet.
Company: Miami City Ballet
Age: 21
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 she built her stage presence on solid fundamentals. The clarity of details in her interpretations—sharp pointe work, eloquent poses, bold jumps and balances—makes for a smooth musicality. And technical underpinnings enable the big, viewer-grabbing effects. Lopez took notice when Naturkas, still a student at MCB School, was rehearsing Don Quixote. “She breezed through the pas de deux, variation, and coda, including the fouettés,” the director says. “Afterwards she went to the back and started doing relevés on her left leg, further strengthening her calf—a clear indication of both her talent and work ethic.” While still a pre-professional in the school, Naturkas was cast as Dewdrop in her first MCB Nutcracker, the prelude to her company contract.
Lessons for art and life: “There were a lot of nerves,” Naturkas recalls about that initial spotlight role. “But I told myself ‘Just do it.’ ” She still relies on this mindset and steadfast preparation—skills nurtured at Crooked Tree by 2010 Dance Teacher Award recipient Heather Raue. “She taught me mental strength and how to hold myself,” says Naturkas, “qualities I carry beyond ballet into my personal life.” Her Firebird achievement came with Raue applauding in the audience.
Sisters and friends: In their small summer-resort town on Lake Michigan, Taylor and her fraternal twin, Autumn, started dance classes together but quickly took to separate activities—a self-determination their parents encouraged. “Autumn and I like being into different things. She’s passionate about horses and now works at our dad’s restaurant. But we’re still best friends, giving each other advice. We always have so much to catch up on!”
Broad horizons: With every assignment, Naturkas elevates the beauty of her art form. “In Swan Lake I took everything I could from such a huge process,” she says, thankful for the opportunity to develop her acting. Working with Ratmansky left her eager to perform in his Pictures at an Exhibition next year. But she adds, “Everything is so new for me. I want to be a slow dancer, a quick dancer—I want to do it all.”
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