Former Joffrey Ballet star Gary Chryst says the aches and pains of being a middle-aged dancer aren't enough to make him retire.
"I'm a 46-year-old gay man," he said. "Most of my friends have died. The fact I'm even dancing . . . it's amazing."Chryst is now with Netherlands Dance Theatre 3, which makes its West Coast debut Friday in Los Angeles.
NDT3 was founded for dancers older than 40, an age when retirement is usually inevitable. The company emphasizes acting and theatrical skills over flashy moves its dancers no longer can execute.
Chryst wanted to retire in the 1970s but a final Joffrey Ballet tour to the Soviet Union made him reconsider.
"It changed my whole point of view," Chryst said. "The audience went crazy to see this. And I realized, someone gave you a gift to communicate to the audience, and that's what you're supposed to do."
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Birthdays: For Saturday, Dec. 9
Actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 86
Actor Kirk Douglas 79
Actress Dina Merrill 70
Singer Joan Armatrading 45
Singer Donny Osmond 38