When Megan Fairchild gives her final performance with New York City Ballet on May 24, she’ll likely do so to the sound of thunderous applause…and peals of laughter. It’s a side of the audience that the principal dancer says she loves engaging with. Fairchild was just 19 and a member of the corps when, at the last minute, she was cast as Swanilda in George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova’s Coppélia. The comic ballet has since become a signature role for Fairchild, and it will now mark the end of her 25-year career with the company.
“I chose it for my retirement because it isn’t so serious, and that feels comfortable to my personality,” Fairchild tells Pointe. “I am not a diva. I don’t feel like the princess of Sleeping Beauty. Those were personas that took me a minute to find.”
At 5′ 3 1/2″, Fairchild is one of NYCB’s shortest dancers and most unrivaled talents, with quick movements and impeccable technique. But even with her razor-sharp attention to detail, Fairchild generally takes a playful approach both on and off the stage.
Some of that playfulness has been acquired over the years. At times, she has gone outside of her comfort zone professionally, such as starring in the Tony Award–nominated Broadway revival of On the Town in 2014. (“The Broadway audiences kind of helped me ruffle my feathers a bit and have fun with being an artist,” Fairchild says.) And she’s gradually learned to let certain things roll off her back, such as what critics or social media trolls may write about her. (She says she doesn’t read most of it.)
But she’s also naturally approachable and lighthearted. Laughter has been a big part of her time in the studio, where rehearsals with colleagues like former principal dancer Joaquin De Luz would often erupt into giggles; and she recently played an April Fools’ Day joke on her Instagram followers.
“You can still have a really high standard for yourself and also really have fun at the same time,” Fairchild says. “I don’t think you get a good product if you’re not finding the joy in it.”
Despite her buoyant attitude, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Fairchild trained at the Ballet West Academy before enrolling at the School of American Ballet year-round when she was 16. From there, Fairchild rose through the ranks at breakneck speed: becoming an apprentice with NYCB at age 17, a member of the corps at 18, a soloist at 19, and a principal dancer at 20.
“Honestly, it was not what I was ready for,” Fairchild recalls of those early years being thrust onstage in difficult roles, such as in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. “I would come back to the dressing room after a debut of something, [and] I would cry for, like, 20 minutes—just the release of adrenaline.”
During that time, Fairchild also struggled with her relationship with food after being approached about her weight as an apprentice. “I was told, ‘Have you noticed you’ve gained weight?’ And I was on my period and I was 18,” Fairchild says. “It definitely altered my health with food for a good five to seven years after that.”
One of the biggest challenges came in early 2018, when longtime ballet master in chief Peter Martins abruptly retired amid allegations of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse. (A two-month investigation did not corroborate the allegations.)
“Him suddenly being gone was difficult,” Fairchild says. “That was a real moment of having to figure out, Who am I dancing for? How do I know when I’m proud of myself? Where’s the bar? Whose eyes do I trust now?” While opinions on Martins were mixed among current and former NYCB dancers, she has always been a steadfast supporter.
But for Fairchild, NYCB’s transition under current artistic director Jonathan Stafford and associate artistic director Wendy Whelan has gone well. She’s had the opportunity to branch out more beyond her usual Balanchine rep, including dancing more works by Christopher Wheeldon and Justin Peck. “I’ve loved having them as bosses,” Fairchild says of Stafford and Whelan. “We’re friends first. Both of them I feel very close to, so it’s been wonderful and fun.”
Time with her colleagues—“the day-to-day chitchat before class, in between rehearsals, before a show, warming up”—is what Fairchild believes she’ll miss most. She also cherishes having been coached by legends like Merrill Ashley and the late Susan Hendl and Sara Leland. “They taught me most of my repertoire, and so I try to hold time with them close to my mind and close to my heart.”
Still, Fairchild has always had an eye on the future, preparing for that next step when she would no longer be performing. One of her biggest priorities has been having a family and a life outside of dance. While juggling a ballet career with three daughters (a 7-year-old and twin 5-year-olds) has been difficult, Fairchild was looking at the bigger picture. “When I’d see people that would retire that had kids, I just felt so happy for them because they looked like they already had worked on their future,” she says. “And so I just knew that was something that was really important to me.”
She also published a book, The Ballerina Mindset, in 2021, and has already earned a degree in mathematics and economics from Fordham University and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. “I do hope to put my MBA to use and find a way to be in consulting for arts organizations or work for some type of company that does that kind of work,” Fairchild says. “That would be a dream job.”
For now, however, Fairchild is taking a moment to breathe. After her final performance, she and her family are moving to Bordeaux (Fairchild’s husband is French) for five to seven years, where she will work part-time for the Balanchine Trust in Europe, and continue to serve on several boards, including the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan, and the finance committee for Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre. She’ll also return to host NYCB’s “Family Saturdays” program twice during the 2026–27 season, splitting creative-director duties with principal dancer Unity Phelan. But her initial retirement days will mostly be devoted to soaking up more time with her three children.
“I thought I would hit the ground running with another job right away, and I’m kind of not on purpose,” Fairchild says. “I’m trying to slow time down.”
The post Megan Fairchild Reflects on Her 25-Year Career With New York City Ballet appeared first on Pointe Magazine.