Exclusive Interview With Stephanie Herman
- Madrid Film Awards
- Jul 4
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
I am a former principal ballerina, trained by George Balanchine ‘s School of American Ballet. At the age of twelve, my gym teacher saw a dancer in me and invited me into their after school ballet program. When I saw Erika twirl, I knew this was for me. I asked her where she learned to twirl and she told me School of American Ballet. Within two weeks I was auditioning for the school and got accepted. Little did I know that this was the best school in the world and part of George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet.
At the age of nineteen i began performing throughout the world with legendaries such as Rudolf, Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. And continuing for fifteen years, but the life of a ballerina is short.
Because I always dreamed of being in film I began to study the Meisner Technique. But I started late at the age of 65 after two years I graduated and secured an agent. Feeling like I was on my way to making my dream come true only to be sent on commercials for grandmothers. I would go to these commercials with my tight jeans, my pixie short hair and high heel boots. Sitting in the waiting room with other grandmas who definitely looked the role but not me. I became frustrated and realized the only way to make my dream come true was to produce my own show and film it. That is when I decided to produce, Ballerina.A One Woman Play.
As a former ballerina, in a Ballet company, everything is done for you, Costume staging, lighting, music, etc.
So now I needed to make it all happen. I was lucky to have a great network of friends to help me. Jennifer Vansijll, and I spent hours writing the script, with my dear friend Serrin Anderson on the phone almost every night helping me edit the script, making it my own. Lisa Forte, the owner of The Dance Theater Shop in Mountainview helped me choose my costumes and even donated them to me. Mark Madeo my Acting coach helped me with my acting scenes. Azita Gandjei and Kedar Lawrence helped create my film background. Please watch the film to the end credits to see my amazing team who made this dream come true.
I decided the play would have a simple set of a mirror ballet barre, and a screen in the background to show film or caricatures that I drew. I got the rights to the music I needed and spread the word out to local newspapers and social media. Opening night I humbly bowed to a sold out and standing ovation, with such gratitude. Because of my TV show connection I was able to hire Vidor Sood film and edit the play which later won 11 film festival awards. Because of the success of the film, I decided to write my own memoir in hopes of one day it becoming a TV series. where I could help produce it and maybe even act a role in it.
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Could you tell us about your first steps as a ballerina? You have had very demanding training with internationally recognized teachers, how has that influenced your life?
When I was in junior high school, I was approached by my gym teacher who asked me if I wanted to join her afterschool ballet group. I told her I had never taken ballet and she said that didn’t matter. When I walked in to the gym and saw this beautiful girl twirling on one foot, I had to know where she learned to do that. She told me The School of American Ballet. Two weeks later, I auditioned for the school and was accepted. Going to the School of American Ballet with international teachers was wonderful. Each teacher had a different approach to teaching so I learned a well-rounded style and strength.
Tell us about the idea and process of your TV Show, how the idea came about, and what you think about it after the results obtained over these years?
I noticed in life that people always asked me for advice. Where did you get your haircut? Can you recommend a good restaurant? What hotel should I stay at? Where’d you get those pretty shoes and that lovely dress.
So for The Stephanie Herman Show, I decided to give people what they wanted. I focused on living life by loving it. I really love people so I interviewed fascinating people and filmed beautiful places.
How has your team's synergy influenced among all your projects?
I love working with people. Whenever I performed, I enjoyed everyone involved from wardrobe to the stage crew and management, the conductor, my peers. I was very lucky to be involved in a small Ballet company of 40 international dancers and we were like a family. I always strive for community wherever I go or work.
In order to undertand the value of your pieces, we would like to know more about the mind behind the process. How would you define your personal experience as a ballerina and the relation with cinema?
Ballerinas are trained to push, give 250%, be disciplined, understand the process of rehearsal to performance, and then letting go once on stage. As a ballerina, everything was done for me – my only job was to show up and dance. Producing a film was quite an eye opener.
Could you tell us an experience or moment that change or challenge you?
Yes. There was this one exercise in acting class. I had to get up on a box in front of my peers and accept compliments. Some were easy, but others were not. My peers badgered me to accept compliments deep within my soul. When one compliment was, “ you are talented” I couldn’t accept it and tears rolled down my cheeks
But I did finally accept that I am talented - I walked away that day wondering why a former principal ballerina could not accept her talent - I realized that ballet required me to always strive to be better, no matter what. So I made a vow to accept my talent - it was that attitude that helped me have the courage to produce my award-winning film, “Ballerina, A One Woman Play”
Can you tell us any difficulties you during your career?
Being insecure, tall, and having a lack of confidence.
1- Insecurity caused me to be nervous whenever being judged, like during auditions.
As a ballerina you need to be in control, yet let go at the same time- being nervous and insecure made it difficult
2- Being tall was difficult because company members in a ballet company, start out in the corps de ballet, where everyone needs to be the same height. I was always at least a few inches taller than all the other females. And as a principal ballerina, I had to have male partners that were taller than me when I was on pointe.
3- Confidence, If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will. Confidence finally came with maturity and hardships.
We'd like to learn more about the how and why you of your vision. If you had to name three key concepts to help everyone understand your work, what would they be?
I am a true believer in owning the magic.
Have the vision of what you want and build it. Trust the negatives, pushing forward with tenacity, and be creative when things don’t work. I sold my vision of producing my One Woman Play and film before I even had a script. I signed the contract only three months before the performance date - the rest was major hard work.
What was the most valuable thing you learned in your career? And what would you recommend to those who are taking their first steps?
As ballerinas, we needed to learn the choreography for every new show. That was not easy, I would fall and feel discouraged that I’d never make it. But with rehearsals and lots of practice, I learned the process of falling before flying. I use that motto whenever starting anything new that I’m insecure about.
Your career has collect many recognitions around the globe! Could you tell us more about your perspective on this? What's it like creating such high-quality, competitive projects, and how do you maintain that level of success over time?
Build it and they will come; I get bored if I am not working towards a goal. Maybe that’s the ballerina in me, always striving to make my dreams come true. After achieving a goal, I creatively work towards my next goal. It’s nice to humbly bow, appreciating the recognition. My next goal is to publish my memoir, get an agent, then have it produced into a TV series.
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Know more about his amazing works!
The Stephanie Herman Show
https://www.youtube.com/user/sherman1dancer * Stephanie’s Vimeo channel:
Interview, meet Stephanie
Follow her!
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Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak with you!
We will be attentive to your next jobs!
MADFA® I Press Team
Madrid Film Awards®
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