Becoming a Ballerina Born in California, Connor Jones began dancing at the age of 3 and continued when her family moved to North Carolina when she was 5. “Around age 14 is when it all really clicked for me and I felt that ballet was my path; this is what I have to do,” said Connor Jones. She completed her training at the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts and started her professional dancing career with the Cincinnati Ballet at the age of 18. It was at the Cincinnati Ballet, where she danced for 11 seasons, that she met her husband. Moving to OKC “We had our daughter in Cincinnati and really needed a change as a couple,” recalls Connor Jones, about their decision to move to Oklahoma. “We sent our stuff all over the place and went to auditions. It was a perfect fit with Robert [Mills, OKC Ballet’s artistic director].” The couple joined OKC Ballet in 2017. Working with her husband at the same company has its pros and cons. “It can be hard to get dance jobs as a couple since what companies need can vary so much,” said Connor Jones. “But it’s nice to be on the same schedule and see each other, especially for theatre weeks [when the company is performing] since you are in the theatre until 10 p.m. or so. Sometimes we may have different rehearsal schedules so we alternate who picks up Gwyn from daycare.”
CONNOR JONES WITH DAUGHTER, GWYNETH, 4, AFTER A PERFORMANCE OF LA SYLPHIDE.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2020 29
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