Zachary Boresow joined Kansas City Ballet as an apprentice with the company for the 2019-2020 Season. In some ways, it was a homecoming. Zachary was a former Kansas City Ballet School student and member of Kansas City Youth Ballet. More than that, his mother, Alecia Good Boresow, danced with the company for many years under Artistic Director Emeritus Todd Bolender. She also taught in the school and directed KCYB when it was first created.
Q: When did you start learning ballet?
A: I started dance classes as a toddler but was on and off with it until around age 9, when I took up ballet. A lot of my earliest memories consist of being in the studios; whether it was watching my mom teach/rehearse as a little boy, or I was just running around and being a distraction to all the dancers! From the start I just really loved the atmosphere that the studios and dancers provided. It has always been home to me I guess.
Picture Right: Zachary with his mother and former KCB Dancer Alecia Good Boresow
Q: Where did you take classes?
A: I began taking ballet classes at Kansas City Ballet School when we were still located at the old building! I was in the school for a couple of years before my family moved to my mother’s hometown, Carlisle, PA, to be closer to her side of the family. There I received the majority of my training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB). I later went on to train and graduate from the San Francisco Ballet’s School (SFBS).
Q: Who was your teacher?
A: During my time at KCBS, my main and fondest teacher was Sean Duus, former dancer with KCB. I think that having a male teacher at a young age was very pivotal for my positive experience with ballet, and I have always looked up to Sean in many aspects. Once moving to CPYB, I studied extensively under the late, renowned, Marcia Dale Weary and the rest of the faculty at CPYB.
Q: What was it like to have your mother as a teacher?
A: I didn’t really have my mother for classes as much as people may think. When I was younger, however, it was honestly very tough. We used to butt heads in the classroom quite a bit. She would give me a correction and I would go and do the opposite just out of spite. As I matured and ballet became more of my focus, our dynamic really shifted and I feel that to this day we work extremely well in the studios together. I hold her corrections and advice to the highest regard. It is really great to be able to call her at the end of the day and chat about all things ballet with her!
Q: How did you feel when you found out you’d be dancing for KCB?
A: I was thrilled to be able to “return home” after so many years and to be able to witness and be a part of just how much KCB has changed and evolved. A few of the company dancers are former classmates from my school days in Carlisle and San Francisco, so I was very excited to be reunited with them as well! It definitely was an adjustment— and a little odd at first-to have all of these different points in my life sort of meet back in the middle where it all started. It is very special to me though and it is an honor to call KCB my family. Truly a full circle!
Q: Last year was your first year as an apprentice here. What were some of the highlights?
A: Unfortunately my first season here was cut short due to COVID, but I would say the biggest highlight last season for me was having the privilege to perform in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Tulips and Lobster. Honestly I can say I have never had as much fun onstage as I did with the company performing this. It was the perfect way to kick off my first season with KCB. I really enjoyed Devon Carney’s Swan Lake as well I am a sucker for the dramatic classics!
Q: Is there someone who inspires you? If so, who and why?
A: I would definitely say that of course my mother, and my father as well, are huge inspirations to me in my life and in my dancing/ethic. My favorite dancers have always been Carlos Acosta and the late Fernando Bujones. I used to study their videos religiously when I was younger. (Sometimes I still do!) I always admired their balance of extreme athleticism and artistry and have always tried to incorporate that into my own dancing. As I move forward in my career though, I’m learning to really be inspired by other outlets in my life such as creating art, cooking, music, nature, etc. Having other passions has really kept me grounded and rejuvenated in the studios, and allows me to explore what it means to be human and how to mold my dancing more to that and who I am as a person.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: I trust my peers’ experience and guidance and it’s great to have those figures to look up to and to look to for support. Having such a close-knit company here really keeps me wanting to continue to work and improve, and just makes everyday more enjoyable!