Further Questions for
Julian MacKay

At 26, the American ballet dancer Julian MacKay has been a star for more than half his life. The Montana native spent his adolescence largely in Russia, where he trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy; he was only 12 when he was first written up by the New York Times for his prodigious gifts. By 19, MacKay was first soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg; as a principal for the San Francisco Ballet (2020–22), he was lauded by a top critic as a “superb pyrotechnician” for his dancing in Don Quixote and Swan Lake. Currently a principal for the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, MacKay has also made it his mission to spread the gospel of classical dance to a younger, wider audience.

“I’m always there to talk to people about my art form,” he says, adding that he often exhorts people, “ ‘Please don’t forget about ballet. It’s brought so much value to my life.’ ” His 280,000 Instagram followers help the cause, as do his influencer collaborations with Cartier as a “friend of the maison.”

MacKay Productions, the company he cofounded with his brother Nicholas, focuses on documenting dance on film and video in a dazzling, contemporary way as well as producing special events. It’s a way for the dancer to exercise more control over his image, as well as that of the art form itself. “When you know you’re the best in your field and you’re doing an amazing jump,” MacKay says, “the person capturing it has to capture it on the same level.”

From Munich, MacKay talked to Further about dancing, traveling, and living all over the world.

When I went to Moscow, it was the beginning of an adventure. My mom was the kind of parent where at 12, I was taking the metro everywhere by myself. My brother Nicholas and I got used to figuring it out on our own. We explored every museum and every place you’re not supposed to go to, including raves in a broken-down palace. [After moving to St. Petersburg] at one point I lived right across from the Hermitage. Pushkin’s famous final duel happened right in front of my house.

My friend cofounded a club called Vita Brevis. It’s an arts and culture hub for entrepreneurs and industry leaders who care about art and want to be connected to the real artists, rather than just the best-marketed ones. Their motto is “life is short but art is forever.” I got to spend time with with artists and people not from my ballet world.

The unique thing about me is the emotions that I bring. What I mean by that is not jumping as high as possible and doing the most pirouettes — that’s a given — but having the real tears run down your face while you’re dancing.

I’m on an uncharted path at this point. Most dancers dream of getting principal status, or doing certain roles. I have done those things, but I’ve wanted to build something that is bigger than that. I want to explore where I can take the art form as a whole, whether that’s through fashion or film or acting opportunities.

There are all these cool castles and all this medieval history. The other day I was talking to a Bavarian princess who came to my show. And she starts talking about knights! It’s real, that fairy-tale life that people used to live. There are princes and princesses that go to the ballet. Even just outside the city, there are these amazing lakes — when you go there, you’re the only person and you jump in and swim a little bit. It’s kinda perfect.

One thing I always bring is a foam roller, even if it’s a small one. I couldn’t go on stage and perform feeling confident if I hadn’t used it.

Definitely just a carry-on. Usually when I’m traveling I’m bringing costumes with me, and if I lose those costumes, even for just one or two days, I’m really screwed.

My brother and I do a ballet event every year at Velaa Private Island in the Maldives. It’s the best place I’ve ever stayed. It’s on a whole other level. It’s already magical because it’s the Maldives, but it feels like heaven on earth. For the event, we build a ballet stage over an infinity pool. I invite my friends to perform, and the island sells out their rooms. It’s quite exciting.

Ted Loos has been covering arts and culture for more than 30 years. A longtime and frequent contributor to the New York Times, Loos also writes for WSJ. Magazine and is a contributing editor at Galerie magazine. He is based in New York City and the Hudson Valley.