DANCER SPOTLIGHT: CHRISTINE MANGIA

Q. You grew up in Columbus...what is your favorite thing about the city? (You can't say BalletMet!)
A. I like Columbus because it is home to me. It's familiar because I grew up here, and this is where my family is. I used to go to Cooper Stadium as a kid...and it's been great watching the city grow-we have a hockey team now! Of course, I'm also a fan of the Buckeyes...I have to be!

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I have three pets: a dog (Siberian Husky) and two cats.

Q. Do you have a favorite of the three?
A. No! I can't say which one I like the best...I love them all!

Q. What is your favorite thing to do when you have a day off from work?
A. Relax! I also like to do stuff around the house (we just bought it) like yard work and gardening. I do all of the things that everyone does...it's not like I have a private limo that picks me up in the morning and takes me shopping at Saks!

Q. Name one place that you would love to travel to, but haven't gotten the opportunity yet.
A. I would love to go to Italy, and I haven't been yet. I have family in Sicily, and I'd love to be able to go there and visit them someday.

Q. What does a typical "day in the life" look like for you?
A. I wake up (after hitting the snooze button a couple of times), shower, eat breakfast and then go to work. A normal day includes classes and rehearsals...generally we go from 11am-6pm, although it depends- every day is different. After work I go home and make dinner and either do some cleaning or just relax. Sometimes after dinner I watch TV...right now I'm watching The Bachelorette.

Q. How many pointe shoes do you go through in a season, and how long does it generally take before they feel "broken in"?
A. In a season we get 40 pairs...although, I generally wear mine until they are literally falling off, so I think I only used 25 of the 40 last season. Although, it depends on how much pointe work I am doing that season. I try to use them until I just can't anymore...It normally doesn't take any time at all before I can wear them. I have very nice shoes, so they generally feel pretty good the first time that I put them on.

Q. Do you have any secret talents that we may not know about?
A. Some people know this, but I like to play soccer...I did as a kid. Um...I'm good at playing Scrabble, so I like to do that. Also, I like to write...I'm pretty good at poetry-I like writing in verse.

Q. Your husband, Judd Gibbs, was also a dancer...What has it been like working with him?
A. Well, up until last year, he danced with me here at BalletMet, which was great because we got to spend all day together. He's my best friend, so being able to spend so much time with him was really nice. We didn't get to dance together too often, but when we did it was really emotional and powerful-of course it's going to be because there is a real emotional connection there...more of one than if you were just dancing with your coworker. Now that he's retired (he's teaching at Wright State), it will be different because we won't be working together, but now when we get home at night we'll have more things to talk about. We'll be able to tell each other about our days, which will be nice.

Q. What are some of your pet peeves?
A. I have a lot...I'm very OCD. The biggest thing is when people say they are going to do something and then don't end up doing it. Other things are empty toilet paper rolls that people don't replace, and also when there is water in the sink. I can't stand it...I have to wipe it off.

Q. If you weren't dancing, what other career could you see yourself doing?
A. If I wasn't dancing, I think I'd be a journalist. I really like writing, so it'd be something where I could do that.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received, and who was it from?
A. "Don't live with regrets." It's from my mom.

Q. What is your favorite memory on stage/favorite roles you've held in the past.
A. My favorite memory on stage was when my husband and I got to dance together in Jimmy Orrante's Touch. My favorite role I've ever danced was when I got to dance Giselle for one performance-I was an understudy and the principal dancer got injured, so I got to go on...it was one of my dream roles, so dancing it fulfilled a lifelong dream for me.

Q. Is there something that you wish more people knew about you?
A. I don't know, I don't think so. I try not to hide very much. I try to just be who I am.

Q. Anything else you'd like to leave us with?
A. If I could tell people one thing, I would ask them to keep the sense of artistry in ballet and in art as it moves forward. Ballet is not about tricks and show and pizzazz...People come to the ballet to feel something, to be moved by something, and that only comes from artistry. I hope that in the future both audiences and dancers can keep ballet what it is really about and appreciate it for those very things.