Local man has the instinct to dance

Leila Navidi

Jeremy Bannon-Neches, a dancer for the Nevada Ballet Theatre, pushes himself hard because, he says, a dancer’s career is short.

By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Name: Jeremy Bannon-Neches, dancer

Age: 23

Education: North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem

Synopsis: A talented and athletic dancer with Nevada Ballet Theatre, Bannon-Neches has performed in more than 25 works since arriving in 2005, including the choreography of George Balanchine and Twyla Tharpe. He has had lead roles in works including “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Getting started: Growing up in Augusta, Ga., he started gymnastics at age 5 and trained daily after school, sometimes into the evening. He was “ripped” at age 10, but by 11 believed he had gotten all that he could from gymnastics. He took interest in ballet after attending a performance of the “The Three Musketeers” complete with swashbucklers and sword fighting, and was a tad chagrined when he arrived at dance class to find there were no swords.

Training: In 10th grade he said goodbye to his parents and moved to Winston-Salem to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts. “Going away to school was without a doubt the best thing that happened to me. It’s such a short career. You can only go as far as your body will take you. To be a professional dancer is not something you can do after school. I got the training I needed. It’s invaluable to be around other people that age and who have the same passion and skill.”

Coming to Las Vegas: Bruce Steivel, then artistic director of Nevada Ballet, was observing a class at Bannon-Neches’ school and immediately offered him a job as an apprentice. He arrived in Las Vegas at age 19.

Why dance? “It’s like an instinct. You’re hungry so you eat food. I just dance. I don’t look for an explanation. It’s just what I do. I know it’s what I’m good at. I’ll dance until the day that my body decides that it’s over.”

Dreams: “I try not to get ahead of myself. I’m realistic. If I work hard, the rest of it will work itself out.”

Nevada Ballet: “I’ve had the opportunity to dance a lot since the day I got here. I’m getting stage experience as opposed to being with a big company and getting none.” Artistic director James Canfield “is really hands on and he gives you a lot of information. You wouldn’t get that in a lot of companies. I like his attention to detail. He always gives you something to think about. He’s really a teacher at heart.”

Being a dancer: “With any other art form you have your whole lifetime to develop your artistry. By the time you reach that level in dance, it’s over. You’re pushing yourself so hard. You want to get to the next level. I almost like it when people get on my case. I like to be kept on the edge a little bit.”

Living in Las Vegas: “You kind of have to go where the work is. Dancers don’t really get to choose. It’s the first city I’ve lived in where you’re not sitting around saying, ‘There’s nothing to do in this town.’ If you want to go out and have a good time, you can. All the dancers kind of hang out together. My best friends are in the company.”

Other interests: Bannon-Neches is a die-hard New York Knicks fan and watches football on Sundays (his one day off) and is also a big movie buff — “Good Will Hunting,” “Pulp Fiction,” “The Godfather,” “Casablanca” and “North by Northwest” are among his favorites.

Sticking around? “I’m an East Coast person so I’ll probably end up there. I don’t know when or where that will be. At this age, I have to do what I can.”