Next Generation Ballet alumnus Jarod Curley returns for Nutracker at The Straz
There is something magical about experiencing “Nutcracker” by Next Generation Ballet® at The Straz.
While it’s a timeless holiday tradition for many families in our area, it also happens to be a performance that inspires young dreamers.
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Nutcracker is often a child’s first ballet, whether they are in the audience or dancing on stage. And as they begin to imagine themselves dancing like the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince…the magic begins.
Just ask Jarod Curley, an NGB alum who is now part of the American Ballet Theatre in New York City.
He’s returning to The Straz as a guest star dancer with fellow ABT dancer Chloe Misseldine in this year’s performances from December 20 through 23.
We recently caught up with Jarod, who is sharing how Nutcracker inspired his journey as a dancer and how NGB set him on the path of success to achieve that dream.
NGB artistic director Phillip Neal also weighs in on the importance of bringing back professionals like Jarod as they inspire the next generation of dancers.
TBPM: Jarod, what’s it like for you to come back to Tampa Bay?
Jarod Curley: It’s wonderful. I grew up in Maryland in the D.C. area. When I went to NGB, it was a big decision for my family, but they ultimately got a small condo in Tampa, and they ended up staying. And so they spend part of the year down there.
It is really an incredible place to live. There’s just so much life and so much momentum in Tampa. I love visiting.
TBPM: Tell us about what makes Nutcracker so special to you and its impact on your journey as a professional dancer.
Jarod Curley: I was probably 6 or 7 and I was the Nutcracker Prince in the production in my hometown in Frederick, Maryland. My director at the time, Joyce Morrison, brought in Megan Fairchild and Andrew Vayette, who were two principals with the New York City Ballet.
Andrew came out and did the à la seconde [when a dancer extends leg parallel to the ground and spins], and my jaw just hit the floor.
It was a life-changing moment. I saw this superhero right in front of me.
I’d never seen a fully-fledged male dancer in my life before. And I saw him doing à la secondes, which became one of my favorite steps. I just became so dedicated to learning how to do à la secondes because I was so impressed.
To see fully developed principal dancers like that from New York City Ballet performing at such a high level, it completely changed my life.
I think I decided in that moment this is what I wanted to do.
TBPM: To be back on the stage at The Straz, potentially inspiring another child to dream big just as you did—what’s that feeling like for you?
Jarod Curley: It’s very exciting. As a student, it was always a really cool experience to see professionals come in and dance.
You always kind of dream that you’d one day be in that position, and it’s a really sweet, full-circle moment for me coming back to NGB, coming back to the place that really kicked off my professional career. I could not have become a professional without having spent time at NGB.
TBPM: It must be so important for these young dancers to meet professionals in the field who were once just like them.
Jarod Curley: Absolutely. There are many people I met along the way who really influenced me. And I think, especially for boys, NGB has a huge impact.
I know that Phillip [Phillip Neal, NGB artistic director] runs a tight ship and a strong men’s program. I think that what Phillip and Peter Stark, who was the director when I was at NGB … have in common is a desire to develop and create a strong men’s program.
That had the biggest impact on me while I was at NGB.
And, it’s always exciting for me to enter an environment like that and see what it’s like now and see the younger guys and be able to talk to them and answer questions and hopefully inspire them because that’s what a lot of people did for me at that point in my training.
And we all know, guys in ballet, there aren’t so many of us. So, we really have to kind of stick together.
TBPM: NGB has set the path for so many dancers. How did it build that foundation for you and help you get to where you are today with the American Ballet Theatre?
Jarod Curley: I think one of the great strengths of NGB is it is really like a stepping stone. When I first went here, I would say that I was very, very far behind. Technically, I was very inexperienced.
But the staff at NGB, they saw something in me, and they saw my desire to work. And we were able to work together and make a lot of progress in a very short period of time.
TBPM: What do you think sets NGB apart from other programs?
Jarod Curley: It was wonderful because the experiences were so similar to what it’s like to put on a full-length production in a big company that you just become so mentally prepared for the career that comes after with experiences like that. So, it was really, really valuable.
TBPM: Phillip, last year, you added baby mice to the performance featuring the youngest dancers to give them an opportunity to participate in the production. Why was it so important for you to bring them back?
Phillip Neal: Children want to see children, right? They want to see themselves on stage and say, “Oh, that could be me.” I will say we get a big enrollment bump after Nutcracker.
That’s how I started to dance. The director said. “You could be in The Nutcracker, but you have to take a class.” I was like, oh, OK.
So I enrolled, took a couple of months of classes, and then went into Nutcracker. I just fell in love with it, and I stayed.
Related: Learn more about what it takes to put on Nutcracker at The Straz
TBPM: The kids and students must be so excited!
Phillip Neal: They are talking about it nonstop, and they’re watching them on Instagram, and they’re super excited, and they are very well aware of Jarod’s legacy here. And Chloe is a fan favorite. You know, Chloe grew up in the Orlando area. So, Floridians know her quite well.
TBPM: That local connection must be so special to you all at NGB.
Phillip Neal: I am going to enjoy going out in front of the curtain. I always give a pre-curtain speech. And, I always remind the audience—hey, I know some of you might think these are professional dancers. They are the official ballet company of The Straz Center, but they’re quite young.
But this will be the first time they’ll be able to go out and say, not only do we produce dancers all over the world and American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, all over, now, one has come home.
And this is what any artistic director of a school or company wants to do. They want to produce homegrown talent that circles back and sets an example. Jarod sets an example because he’s also just an extremely disciplined young man—very serious-minded, gracious, and modest.
Jarod Curley: I’m just so excited to come back again. We’ll get to dance, and I’ll get to see all my teachers at NGB, and I’ll get to see Phillip. It’ll just be a big reunion, and I can’t wait.
See The Nutcracker at The Straz in Tampa:
- When: Dec. 20-23
- Tickets: Tickets start at $21.25, strazcenter.org. Lap tickets for children 24 months and younger may be purchased for $10 by calling the Ticket Sales Office.
*This story originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. Cover photo of Jarod Curley provided by The Straz Center.