The Interview: 9 Lives, 9 Questions
Life 1: The First Leap
The Cat House Magazine: In ballet, we often talk about a dancer’s early beginnings as their “first life.” Growing up in a major ballet family—with your mother, Carla Stallings Lippert, being a former ABT Soloist—did you always know you wanted to follow this path, or did you explore other “lives” before committing to the studio?
Carolyn’s Answer: “Ballet was always a constant thread in my life. Some of my absolute earliest memories are running around the old studio spaces in Fresno and performing as a little Bonbon in The Nutcracker. But there was a brief moment where I was balancing both ballet and gymnastics! When I turned 10, my mom gently told me I needed to choose one because driving back and forth to both was getting impossible. The grace, the storytelling, and the music of ballet won my heart completely. I chose the studio, and I never looked back.”
Life 2: Finding Your Feet
The Cat House Magazine: Cats are famous for their impeccable balance and always landing on their feet. In ballet, that level of stability takes years of grueling work. How do you find your literal and figurative balance when preparing for a demanding season with ABT?
Carolyn’s Answer: “Finding your feet—especially on pointe—is a daily practice. Physically, it comes down to cross-training, core strength, and trust in your technique. But mentally, finding balance is about knowing when to rest. The ABT schedule can be intense, so I have to treat my body with the same care an elite athlete (or a highly pampered cat!) would. Finding balance means letting go of the day’s perfectionism the moment I take my pointe shoes off.”
Life 3: Nine Lives, Nine Cities
The Cat House Magazine: You had quite a journey before returning to American Ballet Theatre in 2015, including time with the ABT Studio Company, the Washington Ballet, and the San Francisco Ballet. How did navigating those different company cultures help you reinvent your artistic “lives”?
Carolyn’s Answer: “For a while in my early twenties, it felt like I was pack-and-moving every single year! Every company has its own energy, style, and repertoire. Dancing with the Washington Ballet and San Francisco Ballet taught me how to adapt quickly and be versatile. It’s scary to constantly insert yourself into a new environment, but it gave me a lot of resilience. By the time I came back home to ABT, I felt like a much more mature, well-rounded artist.”
Life 4: The Magic of America’s National Ballet Company®
The Cat House Magazine: There is something deeply iconic about American Ballet Theatre. What is it about ABT specifically that makes your heart beat fastest, and why do you love calling it home?
Carolyn’s Answer: “There is an electric energy at ABT that you can’t find anywhere else. Walking into the studios or stepping onto the stage at Lincoln Center, you are surrounded by living history. We are America’s National Ballet Company, and that brings a deep sense of pride and responsibility. What I love most is the artistic standard; everyone is pushing boundaries while keeping the classic stories alive. It’s a community of fiercely dedicated people, and being a part of that legacy is incredibly fulfilling.”
Life 5: The Power of the Pack (The Corps de Ballet)
The Cat House Magazine: Felines can be independent, but they also know the power of a pride. As a member of ABT’s corps de ballet, you have to move in absolute, breathtaking unison with dozens of other women. What is the secret to creating that collective magic?
Carolyn’s Answer: “The corps de ballet is the absolute backbone of any production. It requires you to completely drop your ego. You aren’t just listening to the music; you are breathing with the dancer to your left and peripheral-vision watching the dancer to your right. When we are doing something iconic like the Wilis in Giselle or the swans in Swan Lake, you can feel this collective heartbeat. It’s a deeply sisterly bond. We carry each other through the exhausting acts, and when it clicks perfectly, it is pure magic.”
Life 6: Stepping Into the Spotlight
The Cat House Magazine: Occasionally, you get to step out of the collective pack and into the spotlight—like when you returned to Fresno to dance the principal variation from Le Corsaire for the Lively Arts Foundation. How does your mindset shift when you transition from a corps role to a soloist spotlight?
Carolyn’s Answer: “It’s a major shift in energy! In the corps, your focus is internal and shared—you are maintaining the frame of the picture. When you step into the spotlight, you are the picture. You have to project your energy all the way to the top balcony and command the entire stage. Performing Le Corsaire in my hometown was incredibly special because I sat in that exact audience as a little girl watching guest artists. Stepping into that spotlight was my way of showing the next generation of young dancers that their dreams are entirely possible.”
Life 7: Furry Friends and Downtime
The Cat House Magazine: This is The Cat House Magazine, so we have to ask! ABT actually ran a fun “Dancer’s Best Friend” feature highlighting company pets. How do animals, or the calm rhythm of a pet’s life, help you unwind after a long day of rehearsals?
Carolyn’s Answer: “Dancers are notoriously high-energy, high-stress perfectionists. Animals are the exact opposite—they are completely grounded in the present moment. Coming home to a pet who doesn’t care how many pirouettes you landed or if your extensions were high enough is the ultimate therapy. They just want your love and presence. It forces you to slow down, sit on the couch, and just be.”
Life 8: The Agility to Overcome
The Cat House Magazine: Every dancer faces setbacks—whether it’s an injury, a tough review, or a role they didn’t get. If you could give one piece of advice to a young dancer on how to use one of their ‘nine lives’ to bounce back from a setback, what would it be?
Carolyn’s Answer: “You have to realize that a setback is just one chapter, not the whole book. Injuries and disappointments are inevitable in a career this physical and competitive. When you fall, allow yourself a moment to feel sad or frustrated—don’t numb it. But then, dust yourself off and treat the recovery or the comeback as a new beginning. Use it as an opportunity to work on a different part of your artistry, like your acting or your musicality. You are allowed to reinvent yourself.”
Life 9: The Legacy and the Future
The Cat House Magazine: For your “ninth life,” let’s look to the future. You’ve achieved the dream of dancing on the world’s biggest stages. What do you hope your ultimate legacy in the dance world will be?
Carolyn’s Answer: “I hope to leave the ballet world a little warmer and more encouraging than I found it. I want to be remembered not just as a precise technician, but as a generous artist who brought joy to the stage and supported her peers in the wings. Beyond that, I want to keep inspiring young kids from smaller towns to realize that with the right work ethic, dedication, and passion, they can find their way to places like the American Ballet Theatre too.”
