The path to a professional dance career was anything but linear for Caroline T. Dartey. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Dartey was originally an accomplished rhythm gymnast, in competition both nationally (she was the Swiss champion in her category from 2009 to 21) and internationally before leaving sport for dance. A fortuitous meeting with a teacher observer from the Popular Conservatory of Music, Dance and Thealytre of Geneva moved Dartey's attention to concert dance and New York: she joined the Ailey school as a scholarship student in 2016, danced with Ailey II from 2018 to 20 years old and joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2021.
Whether on stage, rehearsal, or even in the improvisation videos that she publishes on Instagram, Dartey dances with Aplomb, dealing with each movement with care and precision. Its elegant extensions and magnetism look straight at the house in the Ailey repertoire and will be presented in Paris this month when the company is on tour.
A transcendent experience
“I used to become really nervous when I participate in rhythmic gymnastics. But when I dance, I am always excited. It is like another universe on stage. The lights are so brilliant that you cannot see the public, so it is really as if you were in your own world, entirely immersed in the role you play.”
Tour de force
“I love to tour with Ailey, and the memories of our international trips are really in my mind. So many people around the world do not have regular access to dance, so it's incredible to give them this. I would particularly love to return to Switzerland one day-maybe I can inspire younger dancers there. ”
Expand your curriculum vitae
“I do a lot of concerts from the dance industry outside the company, commercial work and performance modeling with Pheelz on” Late Night with Seth Meyers “, because if I stay in a bubble, I will not progress. It helps me stay active in my mind and helps me bring back inspiration in the studio when I prepare for new roles – I wear everything in my collection of experiences to use when I can. ”
