Interview with Marika Molnar
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Marika Molnar is the owner of Westside Dance Physical Therapy Clinic on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and lucky for us dancers, in charge of the entire wellness program at New York City Ballet. I thought it would be a great time to catch up with her about her entry into the dance world after she came out of PT school back in the late 70s, how she got connected with Balanchine and his company, and what specific things dancers should be doing to maintain strength and stamina in quarantine. She is a magician at fixing our bodies, and her knowledge of the dancer body is unparalleled. Enjoy!!!
Your interviews are very enjoyable because of the way you listen. Listening is just as important in an interview and conversation. Thank you.
Anybody who can rehab an injured Natalia Makarova back to dance perfection, is a Goddess in my book. Thank you for another great interview!
i love these interviews. Megan, you are an excellent interviewer. I think these interviews are fascinating. It helps to have something interesting to listen to during self isolation.
Im a physical therapist who used to dance and as soon as i knew who she was just idolized her! Loved this interview and she's just lovely! Such a wealth of knowledge. Again Meghan these interviews are just wonderful!
I also want to say that so often interviews with dancers and dance people are disappointingly boring. The way you engage with your people, speaking their language and from within their world, really brings out what's piquant and special and engaging about them. I'm enjoying these so much.
Well, to be fair, most interviewers who are not involved in dance in any way, ask the most boring questions. Everytime I see a dancer on TV they either get asked about diets and schedules, nothing about themselves, motivations, the art of coreography, creative process etc.The best interviews with dancers I've read or listen to are by people who know what they're asking about. I don't know if you're aware of a podcast called Conversations On Dance, run by two former dancers with Miami City ballet. They have a lot of interviews with dancers from many companies and different ranks, and they have some really great stuff.
My comment just sent itself before I was finished. Hoping this can be added on:
It is wonderful to learn of the progress in prevention of injuries and the change in mentality about dancers being expected to dance, injured or not, similarly, being expected to return to the stage before fully recovered. You are a pioneer in this. Many, many thanks.
As a 76 year old Vinyasa yoga instructor I’m always looking for ways to make the practice relevant for my mostly mature students.
My ballet training has helped me with my practice and staying fit. Some of the dancers I’ve taken class with at City Center have been the beneficiaries of Marika’s wisdom. This interview is priceless, so informative. Looking forward to incorporating this knowledge in my practice.
Megan, I’ve enjoyed your interviews so much. I still feel connected to the ballet world. Love hearing you talk with some of my favorite dancers.
I have no connection to Ballet or USA. But I was introduced to NYCB through AOL docuseries a few years back. Since then I am fascinated by this artform. This was a lovely interview on a unique topic. Can you also interview a ballet teacher, choreographer and a corps member. Thanks!
Ooo a corps member would be so great!
I felt equally awed getting to meet Marika. What a beautiful soul! This information is invaluable. Thank you! I wish it had been an entire hour longer!!!
Marika is such a great wealth of knowledge. Awesome.
This is fabulous information. My first physical therapist when I started dancing professionally in Chicago interned with Ms Molnar. So great to see her and hear her stories and advice.
I really loved this interview, what an amazing story she has!! She was full of knowledge, thanks for all the tips during this quarantine time. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for these.
I lived in Hungary for about 18 months. When she said 1956 I gasped!
I have been lucky to go back a few times, one time to study ballet and Hungarian folk dance. I love LOVE LOVE Hungary!
What a gift to the world! Thanks so much for all of these Megan!!!🥰
Interesting interview. I felt calmer just listening. Be well.
Great interview! Much love from Hungary 🇭🇺
Thank you for doing these interviews. All of them, haven't seen one where I wasn't interested ALL the way through. As a member of the audience, and I also dance, I' love the fluid transitions between different aspects of the things dancers think about..... I want to comment on the breathing. YOu don't mention this, but for me as an an audience member, the FIRST thing I notice about any dancer is how they're breathing. And if they're tense and breathing as if they're afraid, I can't bear to watch them. It makes a huge difference to the audience -- the dancer who connects with the audience is the one who's breathing normally, and that's who you follow -- even if she's in the back row doing "nothing." At least, that's true for me.
What an amazing woman. Hungarians are so brilliant.
Another fascinating and informative interview, Megan. I learned so much from Ms. Molnar that relates to physical and mental wellness for everyone, not just dancers. So enjoyed this!
This is great. I really appreciate the information about the metatarsals. I came back to ballet after 18 years, very slowly, just doing a super easy barre, and I had a painful right metatarsal arch for the longest time. (Two years and some on, and it's doing great.)
Such a fabulous and informative interview!
I am crying! I am hypermobile and getting into stabilization in my spine and I'm so glad to hear about the parasetter. Did it help your back injury? I am going to go back to teaching and I want to be in shape with my PT and PM&R doc. They will love this!
Please interview your brother
Lovely interview!
Loving your interviews. Next? When?
I wanted to add my dumb 2 cents on the jumping on very hard surfaces:( I'm not an awesome PT like Marika HOWEVER or a PT at all!) I went to SAB in 78-80. ya another lifetime ago. anyway I still take class and when you get older if you don't take class regularly and then go in and jump you WILL rip calf muscles. I did this , whoa like 10+ times and finally figured out I need to do something about this. So I jump like 5-6x / wk doing small jumps and echappes, in good running shoes - I like Asics, WITH LOTS OF PLIE!. doesn't matter if you do it on concrete floor or whatever. If you jump regularly on a "loading" surface you won't rip your calf muscles. I haven't ripped anything in Months and months now. (cross fingers ha). I can still do six and tours and don't rip calves. anyway..6 sets of 16 jumps each :)
Love it!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I used to know a principal dancer in the late '80s who "warmed up" by rubbing themselves all over with BenGay. Lol. You can imagine how well that worked. Also, yes, everyone smoked and they had zero stamina.