Rose Barbantan loves New York City. “It really is the city where ‘everything is possible’”, she says enthusiastically. “But you have to work hard to make it possible,” she adds quickly – her tone shifting to determined and focused. Originally from Barbantane, a small town in the South of France, which she shares an onomatopoeic last name with, Rose moved to New York in 2018, after successfully auditioning for The Ailey School. Born into an artistic family, she grew up in theatres and started at the dance conservatory at the age of seven. At 14, after winning a dance competition in Paris, she moved to Portugal for two years. “That was the most powerful experience of my dance journey,” she shares. “I was alone and knew nobody, so had to learn how to be independent, cook, do laundry. I learned Portuguese in three months and spent my whole time focusing on training ballet and technique.”
That experience formed her into a hard and consistent worker. And although her focus had been ballet for most of her formative years, upon her return from Portugal she began studying Graham technique, connecting deeply to the freedom of movement of contemporary dance. That feeling is what pushed Rose to want to make dance her profession: “When I’m dancing it is the only time I feel free and complete. I realized that I craved that feeling and needed it every day of my life,” she says. When it came time to move to New York, Rose was ready. “New York gives me so much joy. When you leave the house, you never know when you are coming back because anything could happen. The greatness of the city is humbling, and you need to fight every day to be greater than the city.”
Rose Barbantan. © Diego Guallpa 2022
Rose’s determination came in handy when the pandemic hit during her second year of studies. The lockdown was especially harsh on her challenging industry. When the school shut down and moved its curriculum online for the rest of the year, she returned to the South of France, attending classes at odd hours given the time difference, pushing through jet lag and small spaces. When The Ailey School announced that it was suspending classes until it could reopen, Barbantan fought through the anxiety and uncertainty of the times. She moved to Paris, hired a coach and continued taking classes to keep her technique sharp. “It was such a difficult year for me emotionally, every day I went from my dance coach to my therapist. But I fought hard for everything that is important to me, and now I am here in NYC again, and very happy!” she says.
She returned to complete her third year in September of 2021 with big plans: “I told myself I was going to do it right and work my way up”. A month later she was already auditioning, collecting opportunities for experience and career development. During her final year she was amongst the ten students selected to perform at the New York City Center as guest artists with the Ailey company. She auditioned two or more times a week until she graduated in May of last year. When asked what kept her going through the fiercely competitive nature of the post-pandemic dance industry she replies with wisdom this art form seems to accentuate in its practitioners. “I’m not afraid of ‘nos’. Every ‘no’ just helps me get closer to a ‘yes’. A ‘no’ is really just a ‘no-for-now’, a ‘yes-waiting-to-happen’.”
Rose Barbantan (red tie) in “Walk with Amal. When Fear is a Raging Bull”. © Antonio Leone 2022
Barbantan has been working with a number of dance companies as a principal dancer since her graduation, such as Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Accent Dance NYC, Caterina Rago Dance Company, SHIFT Dance, Art & Media, Buglisi Dance Theater, and more. She has performed in NYC theaters, across the US and in Canada.
“’Walk with Amal’ was probably the most amazing NYC experience for me this past year” she shares. In September of 2022, chosen by Gaines to be a part of the performance, she danced in collaboration with Yaa Samar Dance Theater, with the 12-foot puppet ‘Little Amal’. “It was so emotional, dancing on Wall Street with Amal, representing the displaced people and the refugees of the world. A very ‘New York’ moment,” she says.
From each dance company she has been working with, she has been gaining experience in different facets of her profession. “Working with Jamel Gaines is incredible,” she says. “He not only helps me grow as a dancer but is also a life coach. I have learned things that I know will serve me for the rest of my career, including learning choreography quickly, keeping my focus, how to present myself on stage and during auditions.”
Dancing for Cherri Thompson, artist director of SHIFT Dance, Arts & Media, has allowed her to explore the freedom of a dancer’s choice, which Rose loves and finds essential given her many soloist roles. Thompson is full of praise for the dancer, whom she considers integral to the company’s rehearsal process and performance repertoire. “Rose has an invaluable artistic voice and collaborative spirit. Her training is impeccable: she excels in partner work, classical ballet vocabulary, contemporary and modern dance, and theatrical expression,”, she says.
“It is very interesting to be a soloist for me because it challenging and powerful: you need to trust yourself fully and be trustworthy. At the same time, I have also a sense of peace and ease because nobody in the audience will know if I make mistakes. And I can explore different movements through my interpretation,” she shares.
This was particularly true for Barbantan when she became a company member at Accent Dance NYC, after a very competitive audition, and earned the trust of artistic director Andrea Ziegalman not only for a number of principal roles, but also as a teaching company member. “Rose is a versatile, multi-faceted dancer – these are highly coveted skills for any dance company, especially ours that celebrates multiculturism. She delves into what each choreographer is trying to convey: whether it is dramatic deep emotion or whimsical playfulness, she is a limitless source of creative inspiration to everyone, and a unique artist,” says Ziegelman.
Rose is unwavering in her motivation. She continues to dance with the companies she is a member of, and also auditions regularly, working through callbacks, new choreography and preparing to go on tour.
She is working towards her dream of having her own dance company in a few years, to create her own works that intertwine her dance experience in the US with elements of her European roots. “I am continuously inspired by other dancers and love choreographing on other people,” she says. Given her continued track record of turning ‘no’ into ‘yes’, there is no doubt that this dancer’s dream will bring significant contributions to the performing arts world.
