EDGE Interview: Get to Know New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Jovani Furlan

Jovani Furlan's Instagram feed gives an alluring mix of fairytale and fortitude. In numerous posts, the New York City Ballet principal dancer takes his nearly 150,000 followers behind the scenes of his performances to reveal just how much practice and pain goes into ensuring his ballet positions are perfectly polished. And in between pliés and pirouettes, Furlan helms his own male dancewear brand, which donates 10% of its profits to supporting the next generation of male ballet dancers in Brazil.

Furlan was a few years into his training as a dancer when he realized he wanted to pursue ballet full-time as a career. In the beginning, Furlan shared in an exclusive interview with EDGE, he just wanted to be a good student. "But eventually something clicked," he says, "and I felt like I could have it as my job."

In addition to iconic ballet idols Mikhail Baryshnikov, Angel Corella, Nikolay Tsiskaridze and Natalia Osipova, Furlan says he also idolized older students at Bolshoi and the dancers he could find on YouTube. "Those were my first idols," he says. And now it's his turn to be an idol as he lives out his dreams in New York City.

In a country where soccer is so popular, were there many boys studying ballet?

Yes, in my school back home, the Bolshoi in Brazil, it's very half-and-half. The school has about 350 students and there were 40 boys that got in the school in the same year as me. Only 7 of us graduated but it was really comforting to have so many guys in class.

How would you say your ballet training has enriched your personal life?

Ballet is discipline. It's a meditation. It's human depth and all that goes in between. So much of the person I am has been shaped by my early and continuous training in dance.

What made you want to start filming your rehearsals and sharing them on social media?

I think it's a great way to share my artistry with so many people that sometimes can't make it to the shows! It's also a way of displaying the "product" which I guess you can say is my dancing. I've had so many beautiful interactions with people online whom later came into my life in the real world, I also have gotten job opportunities through social media. So I guess if it's a tool that's out there, why not use it? Always mindfully, of course. I try to be as real as possible, and I like to post some mishaps in my stories and reels sometimes. It keeps me humble and human.

What's it like reading comments from people thirsting about your looks and physique?

I guess I read most of the comments. Most people are very kind and positive. But there's also comments that I have to delete because they're borderline inappropriate ... It's baffling the nerves some people have. I am like, "Would you ever go up to a person and say that IRL? So why are you saying it here?"

You've been in George Balanchine's "Allegro Brillante," "Ballet Imperial," "Episodes," "Jewels," A Midsummer Night's Dream," and more. What has been your favorite role and why?

So many shows are my favorite shows. Performing "Balanchine" is always an epic experience. It just feels so right, musical and superhuman. If I were to pick, I'd have to go with a few: my first time in "Symphony in 3 Movements," opening night at Miami City Ballet where I did "Diamonds" and got promoted to principal dancer, and doing "Agon" and "Duo Concertant."

Tell us a secret about ballet and ballet dancers that you think most people wouldn't know.

Our job isn't glamorous, it's very sweaty and smelly at times. We're constantly grunting and just trying to make it to the show. But I find so much beauty in that. It's so special to go through so many intense days with so many people. The biggest surprise about dancing professionally is that most of us are still very stressed to perform and sometimes that can be the hardest part of the job. I listen to lots of music while getting ready to perform, I meditate for a couple of minutes, and I make sure I am warm and not hungry.

Outside of ballet, what is your favorite combo of dance and music?

I honestly love all kinds of music. I am a very sentimental person, so sappy songs about life, growing old and relationships just really get to me. Currently I can't stop listening to Mitski, James Blake, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. I am ballet-obsessed, so you can always invite me to watch any variation of that. Whether it's a new creation or Giselle, I am there. I also really love just dancing the night away at a club. I have a really good friend, Gilbert Bolden III, and we love just being silly and sexy and having fun together on the dance floor.

If you could perform any ballet work in front of a live audience and with a male partner, what would it be and why?

I would love to perform the male duet "Touché" by Christopher Rudd. It's so touching, relatable and vulnerable. That feeling of the first encounter, the awkwardness, the nervousness, the first touch ... I get butterflies just thinking about it.

It is difficult for many gay actors to get parts as leading men. Do you think the same is true for ballet dancers?

It really depends, but it can be hard for gay men in ballet to get certain parts in ballets. Some people in front of the room making decisions sometimes expect a certain way of acting for certain roles and that might affect their decision. Unfortunately the way you express yourself as a person can stop you from getting opportunities.

Do you think the ballet world is ready to accept more performances with same-sex lead dancers?

Oh, absolutely. I think people really want to see new stories with same-sex pairings. What is art if not a reflection of our society? Yes, we have our fairy tales and our traditional stories, and most of these should be kept and some should be updated but we have to be creating more!

Tell us, where will we see Jovani in five years?

In five years, I see myself well established at New York City Ballet, with lots of experience under my belt and also growing my artistry by guesting with more companies and festivals. I also see my brand, Furlan Dancewear, really soaring and fulfilling its mission of helping dancers in Brazil.