It's a age-old tale for ballerinas of any stripe — being a dancer means putting yourself through physical trial and it forces great talents into early retirement. The latest retiree: Carla Körbes, 33, of the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Formerly, and famously, of the New York City Ballet, Körbes was always known as primetime ballerina, having been featured as a soloist with the City Ballet for years. However, it was announced that on June 7, at the end of the 2014-15 season, Körbes would be indefinitely taking time off from being a dancer, according to a statement.
As The New York Times reports, he reasons for retiring stem from complicated issues. After a knee injury in a performance of Wheeldon's Tide Harmonic in May of last year, she tore her meniscus only to find out that had problems with her patella.
Recovery was rough, she said. And for the dancer, the repertoire at Pacific Northwest has meant performing classics like Don Quixote or contemporary programs.
Gia Kourlas writes, "It has taken a toll, [Körbes] said. It is not lost on her that being exposed to more choreographers was a draw in her decision to leave City Ballet. At the same time, Ms. Körbes is tired of feeling, as she put it, that she is 'always compensating and just trying to get through a season.'"
It's unfortunate that an art form can reject so many worthy contenders. Hopefully this won't be the end for Ms. Körbes. But, as surgery has proved on most major athletics injuries, this could be an indefinite clause in her career.
Until then, here she is in 2012 at Vail.
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