As Mira Nadon stepped onstage for George Balanchine’s “Diamonds” pas de deux at the Kennedy Center in June, I was struck by both her youth and her maturity. At just 23, the New York City Ballet principal was making her debut in a role typically reserved for the company’s senior ballerinas. Yet she was bringing something new and distinctive to her interpretation. Her movement was lush and dreamy; her connection with her partner, Peter Walker, warmly genuine. She was mysterious without being remote, as if searching for something beyond reach that only she could sense.
“Her debut was so uniquely her own, and yet it honored the ballet,” says NYCB associate artistic director Wendy Whelan. “You can see she has worked through this role in her body and mind so clearly.”
Nadon did come prepared: She spent years watching NYCB stars like Maria Kowroski and Sara Mearns perform “Diamonds,” her longtime dream role. “I watched a lot of old videos, too, just taking in the information and letting it go,” says Nadon. She reached out to Suzanne Farrellthe role’s originator, who talked her through the pas de deux and emphasized its simplicity and humility. And when Rebecca Krohn, a mentor and an NYCB repertory director, advised her to embrace her age, she took it to heart.
“I knew I needed to find my own way, and I realized that I have to bring youth and warmth to the role for it to feel right,” Nadon says.
Mira Nadon in George Balanchine’s Apollo. Photo by Erin Baiano, courtesy New York City Ballet.
That intelligent focus and level-headedness have enabled Nadon to take on major roles since joining NYCB’s corps in 2018—and to handle the intense pressure that comes with them. Her extraordinary range has been on full display following her promotion to principal in 2023. She brings sophisticated, old-world glamour to Balanchine’s Apollo and Concerto Barocco, romantic lyricism to his Liebeslieder Walzer and Serenade, deadpan cool to the postmodern works of Pam Tanowitz. She can be astonishingly explosive, hurling herself through deep lunges in Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. (“She’s got guts,” Whelan says.)
Nadon’s offstage focus allows her to live in the moment onstage. Last season, when Farrell staged a revival of Balanchine’s 1975 Errante, she chose Nadon to dance the lead. The ballet, previously titled Tzigane, was created on Farrell, and begins with a mesmerizing five-minute solo.
“Suzanne kept saying every show is going to be different, you’ll just feel it when you’re out there,” says Nadon. On opening night, Nadon delivered a fearless performance: sultry, wild, off-balance yet utterly in control. It was a career-defining debut that secured her reputation as one of NYCB’s most exciting, distinctive artists.
An Early Standout
Nadon is now the rare NYCB dancer to have performed leads in all three sections of Jewels. Her first breakout role, at age 18, was the “Tall Girl” soloist in “Rubies.” In 2023, she performed Violette Verdy’s part in “Emeralds,” an opportunity that surprised her, but perhaps shouldn’t have. “When I was a student I saw myself as more of a lyrical dancer,” says Nadon. “So ‘Emeralds’ kind of harkened back to that.”
In fact, she first learned her “Emeralds” solo in a variations class at her home studio. Born in Boston, Nadon grew up in Montclair, California, alongside her twin brother, Benjamin (“truly the most uncoordinated person,” she jokes). Her mother, originally from India, was a lawyer; her father is a college professor. Around age 6, Nadon started training at the nearby Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. Led by Victoria Koenig and Jill Voznik, the studio has a regional company attached, giving Nadon ample opportunities to perform and grow comfortable onstage.
After getting her first taste of Balanchine’s choreography at IPBA, she attended the School of American Ballet’s summer course at age 13, and at 14 she joined SAB’s year-round program. Her even-temperedness and independence allowed her to adjust easily—and thrive: At 16, she danced the lead in Scotch Symphony at SAB’s annual workshop, and her onstage charisma caught NYCB leadership’s attention. She joined NYCB as an apprentice five months later, in November 2017.
Whelan, who was appointed associate director in 2019, remembers hearing buzz about the coltish teenager’s potential. “She was very young and had all these things to work on,” Whelan says. “But I started to see beyond her unfinishedness. I could see her work ethic kicking in. And she could jump and turn, and be a poet.”
From left: Roman Mejia, Mira Nadon, and Chun Wai Chan in Tiler Peck’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Photo by Erin Baiano, courtesy New York City Ballet.
Nadon made her “Rubies” debut in 2019, less than a year after joining the corps. In January 2020, she performed Balanchine’s Monumentum pro Gesualdo and Movements for Piano and Orchestra. Krohn noticed how easily Nadon took on the ballet’s essence.
“Movements is very angular and off-center,” Krohn says. “You can teach someone the steps, but they also need a certain kind of instinct that isn’t really teachable. Right off the bat I saw that she had that. I realized I was working with someone who’s going to be really special.”
A Whirlwind Rise
In the fall of 2021, when NYCB emerged from its COVID-19 shutdown, Nadon was more than ready to resume her pre-pandemic momentum. A few months later, artistic director Jonathan Stafford promoted her to soloist, showcasing her rising talent in the “Black Swan Pas de Deux.”
Her career paused briefly after the company’s 2022 spring season, when she underwent surgery to remove an extra bone in her ankle. “I’d never really dealt with an injury like that before, and then having to refind your body,” says Nadon. Though she was back onstage by the fall, it was a full year and a half before her ankle felt normal again. “I think that’s one reason why everything in my dancing feels like it’s coming together now—my foot finally feels better,” she says.
Mira Nadon in Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering. Photo by Erin Baiano, courtesy New York City Ballet.
At the end of the 2023 winter season, Nadon was promoted again, making her the first Asian American female principal in NYCB’s 75-year history. She’s proud to carry that title, though she’s quick to say she’s never faced negative repercussions for being Asian American. “Most people assume I’m white,” she says. “But having people reach out to me and say it’s meant a lot to them is an honor, and I’m happy that I can be a part of some representation in the company. Hopefully there’s more to come.”
From Studio to Stage
Nadon spends a lot of time thinking about a ballet before a performance. But onstage she tunes in to her intuition, her senses, and the orchestra. “There’s just something different that happens when I’m in front of an audience,” she says. “I’m able to feel their energy and connect into the music in a different way.”
Walker, a frequent partner, admits he was initially thrown by her onstage spontaneity. “I’m very analytical and really value preparation,” Walker says. “And Mira is such a natural performer.”
Mira Nadon with Peter Walker in Balanchine’s Love Songs Waltz. Photo by Erin Baiano, courtesy New York City Ballet.
But the connection they shared in “Diamonds,” Walker says, was a culmination of the effort and communication they’ve put into their partnership. “I feel it’s my job to make sure that we focus on certain things in preparation that can allow her to do whatever she wants within the approach that we’ve built.” Dancing with an artist of Nadon’s caliber, he says, feels momentous: “She’s inspired me to be better.”
A Generational Shift
Nadon’s intense schedule leaves little time for much else. She’s taking a break from her coursework at Fordham University, where she is studying math and economics. An avid reader, she’s started a book club, and enjoys cooking and baking, hosting small dinner parties, and bringing fresh batches of cookies into work to share with her colleagues.
She leans on a close, core group of friends who keep her grounded, and says a generational shift in the company has made it feel less hierarchical. “A lot of times when someone is propelled forward so quickly, you can easily get isolated from your peers,” says Krohn. “But she’s maintained healthy relationships around her. She’s not putting herself on this untouchable pedestal.”
Mira Nadon and Peter Walker in Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes. Photo by Erin Baiano, courtesy New York City Ballet.
Nadon danced in her first international gala this year, and she hopes to one day tackle ballets like Mozartiana and Swan Lake. But she also simply wants to keep developing as an artist.
“I’m aware that I’ve gotten promoted very young, so a lot of these roles I’ll be doing for a long time,” Nadon says. “I don’t want to start phoning it in, or for it to get dull or boring—I want to continue to keep all these ballets alive.”
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