Step into the world of ballet beyond the spotlight with our exclusive feature! Each edition offers a glimpse into the off-stage lives of your favorite dancers, showcasing their unique hobbies and passions. Discover the surprising and delightful activities that make these artists’ lives as captivating as their performances.
CLAY MURRAY
Ballet Rhode Island
Company Dancer
@claymurray
Essential item in your dance bag?
My warm-up pants! Cannot start a day without them.Â
Movie you can re-watch till the end of time?
The Devil Wears Prada. Easily.Â
Dancer who’s inspired you
Dylan Wald, Kiyon Gaines Ross, and Jeffrey Cirio.Â
Song/artist/playlist you’ve been playing on repeat?
Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Charli XCX.
Least favorite dance step?
Attitude turns, unless they work out, then they feel great.Â
How do you like to spend your time outside of dance?
I love to read, play video games, listen to music, and play around with styling outfits.Â
Best place to hang out in your company’s home city?
Ogie’s Trailer Park in Federal Hill is a great spot!Â
Dream role?
I got to do two dream roles when I joined Ballet RI—Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty and Jester in Cinderella. Up next is Siegfried in Swan Lake.Â
Go-to coffee shop order?
Iced vanilla latte with oat milk. Classic.Â
Essential post-show ritual?
Lots of stretching, water, electrolytes, and a good meal.Â
ABOUT CLAY
Raised in Hattiesburg, MS, Clay started training at the age of 12 at On Your Toes Dance Studio doing jazz and contemporary whilst also training at South Mississippi Ballet Theatre. At the age of sixteen, Clay joined the Houston Ballet Academy where he stayed for two years training under Claudio Munoz and Andrew Murphy while performing numerous works for the company and the school.
In 2015, Clay joined the Professional Division program at Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2016, Clay joined Boston Ballet’s Second Company where he performed works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Jill Johnson. From 2017–2022, Clay danced with Los Angeles Ballet, where he appeared in numerous classical and contemporary works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Azure Barton, and Marius Petipa.
Featured image by Kelsey Paff
Image 4 by Ian Travis BarnardÂ
