Olivia Holabird grew up in Los Angeles, CA where she trained at Los Angeles Ballet and the Colburn School under the guidance of Leslie Carothers and Jukka Aaroma. While training she performed lead roles in The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Napoli, and Konservatoriet. She graduated from Butler University with a BS in Dance-Arts Administration and an Environmental Studies minor in May 2020. There, she performed various roles in remastered ballets such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Cinderella, as well as premiere modern and contemporary works. Olivia also traveled with Butler Ballet across Eastern Europe in a semi-professional touring company. After graduating, she spent a year dancing with City Ballet of San Diego and is now excited to begin her first season with San Diego Ballet!
Who has influenced you the most to become the dancer you are today?
The support of family, friends, and fellow dancers has been immeasurable in both my love of dance and my pursual of it.
What goes through your mind just before you perform?
It’s really a magical feeling. You’ve worked so hard and you’re next to all your friends who have worked alongside you and together you’re going to go out there and make the audience feel something. Being able to transport the audience away from their lives for just a little is one of my favorite parts of being a dancer.
What is the funniest episode/episodes you’ve experienced in your career?
One time in The Nutcracker we had the smoke machine set off the fire alarm during one of the shows. So everyone, including the audience and all the dancers, had to evacuate. So we were standing outside in the winter cold in our tutus and pointe shoes. It was a funny moment because it felt like the fourth wall was broken, but as soon as we went back on stage I felt closer to the audience because I had been able to relate to them out in the cold.
Who would I most like to share the stage with living or dead?
I missed my last performance at Butler University because of the pandemic so I would love to perform one more time with my class. We had gotten close over the years and it was sad to leave without one more performance.
What do you like/ admire about San Diego Ballet?
I love the variety of works here. From contemporary to classical, it’s fun to not stick to the same style! The dancers are also so welcoming. I’m very grateful for being pushed to work at my best, but also supported to try something new.
P.S. I did graduate with a BS in Arts Administration and have worked with several dance companies doing admin work so if you ever need some help around the office, I have a decent amount of experience and would love to help!