22 Sleepy Hollow Blog Interview w/ Preston Andrew Patterson: Becoming Ichabod
/BECOMING ICHABOD
Interview with Ballet Fantastique Principal Dancer Preston Andrew Patterson
Preston performing in Italy with Ballet Fantastique (Photo Credit: Mariano Zinnia)
Join us in welcoming Preston Andrew Patterson back to the BFan stage! Preston has appeared a number of times with Ballet Fantastique, including starring in Ballet Fantastique’s As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet Italy tour in 2013. Preston joins BFan from Ballet Austin, where he was a company artist danced from 2010-2022. We got a chance to catch up with Preston as he prepares for our first performance of the season, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where he dances the leading role of big city schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. His artistry, wit and humor on stage make him the perfect fit for this challenging protagonist role.
Q&A
Tell us a little bit about yourself! When and where did you start dancing? What inspired you at a young age to try dancing?
I took my first dance class when I was around 5 or 6 after seeing a dance class up close in the basement of the church I attended.
You have worked with Ballet Fantastique before. What was your experience like?
I guested with Ballet Fantastique in their tour to Italy, and again at the Hult Center. The tour was a whirlwind experience to say the least. I learned that Ballet Fantastique is an all-hands-on-deck team; I recall the camaraderie being really awe-inspiring. It was amazing what we accomplished by working together—and overusing the word “grazie.”
You are currently preparing to dance the leading role of Ichabod Crane for our first performance of the season, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Tell us what that process has been like for you. Have you ever danced in Sleepy Hollow or performed this role before?
I have not danced the role of Ichabod before…this is certainly a new experience. In general, the opportunity to make a character—especially a character from classical literature—my own has not been too common an experience in my career thus far, so while it’s challenging balancing the stamina and dramatic needs of the role, it’s also refreshing to have a character to bring to life.
What are you looking forward to the most about performing as Ichabod? Any favorite scenes in the show?
I’m looking forward to the reactions from the live audience! Our depiction of Sleepy Hollow contains a great deal of humor and warmth one might not immediately associate with such a seminally gothic tale. A great example of this is one of my favorite scenes in the second act, the schoolhouse scene, in which Ichabod is obsessing over this dropped handkerchief from Katrina Van Tassel while his students eagerly await his instruction. It’s the first time we see Ichabod in his “element” - academia - while also being somewhat out of it because he’s enamored with the handkerchief and its person.
What has been your biggest challenge in preparing for this role? Do you have any advice for dancers who are taking on a big role for the first time?
The biggest challenge in preparing for this role so far has been building stamina for the breathier stretches of the show. Knowing when to indulge a break in between scenes, preparing physically for the next, and so forth.
I would say my advice for dancers who are taking on a challenging role for the first time is to breathe, prepare, and think without overthinking; though the latter might not be completely possible.
Preston performing in 5x5 with Ballet Fantastique (Photo Credit: Greg Burns, Stephanie Urso)
Don’t miss Preston Andrew Patterson bringing Ichabod Crane to life with warmth, humor, and incredible artistry and nuance in Ballet Fantastique’s original Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Oct. 20-23 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, with live music from Dréos and Gerry Rempel Ensemble. Tickets on sale now!