Cynthia Gregory feels at home pursuing her art, leisure in Las Vegas

Cynthia Gregory hates having her picture taken.

“I think it’s because I’m not moving,” she says.

Yet even when Gregory’s not in motion, she’s dancing.

You can see it in her effortlessly graceful posture. You can even see it in her feet.

“Fourth position — and not very turned out,” she says in a cheerfully self-deprecating fashion.

Gregory’s 27-year career took her around the world — and to the top of the ballet world, with American Ballet Theatre — as “America’s prima ballerina assoluta,” as one of her legendary partners, Rudolf Nureyev, described her.

After Gregory’s dancing days ended, however, the Los Angeles native found herself in New York City and longing for something else.

“When you’re part of it and going 100 miles per hour, it’s great,” she says. But “when you’re not working in New York City, it’s crazy and hectic and you feel left out. I wanted a quieter life.”

Not that Gregory’s life has been quiet since she moved to Southern Nevada seven years ago.

As Nevada Ballet Theatre’s artistic coach, she works with the company’s dancers — and will stage “Swan Lake,” one of her greatest triumphs, in February. (Rehearsals begin in earnest in January.)

Gregory’s artistic talents — hobbies include drawing and painting — also have inspired a line of pendants from Jeff White Custom Jewelry, commemorating Nevada Ballet Theatre’s 45th season. Proceeds from the pieces benefit the troupe.

We recently caught up with Gregory, who turned 70 in July, at the dance company’s Summerlin studios, as she pondered her life in ballet, then and now.

Review-Journal: When, and why, did you move to Las Vegas?

Gregory:Seven years ago. Sept. 10 — I remember the date — 2009. … I wanted to get back to the West somehow. I thought of California, (but) my cousin lived here with his wife and there was another couple. So I knew four people. They said, “Come and look at the houses.” … I was 63, I wanted to slow down a little. I missed the West and the mountains and the sunlight.

R-J: What was the reaction of your ballet friends and colleagues to your move here?

Gregory: They all thought I was nuts — absolutely crazy. I said, you don’t really understand Las Vegas. It’s not just the Strip — there’s beautiful desert, gorgeous Red Rock and mountains. You feel like you’re living in a resort, in a funny way.

R-J: When, and how, did you discover dance? When did you realize it would become your art?

Gregory: My mom started me dancing when I was 5. She had been a ballroom dancer, with my father. … She thought it would be a nice thing for me. I come from a very musical family. There was always classical music playing and I would jump around and strike a pretty pose. … I got a scholarship to the San Francisco Ballet (at 14), … in L.A. there were no professional companies. And I thought, wow, I could really do this as a profession.

R-J: What was your favorite role, and why?

Gregory: It was “Swan Lake” — Odette/Odile. The good and the evil, the white and the black swan. Also because of the music — it’s my favorite of Tchaikovsky’s scores. … I think I was meant to do that particular piece. It seemed to suit my way of dancing. I never got tired of dancing it.

R-J: What was your most memorable performance, and why?

Gregory: It’s hard to choose. “Swan Lake” in Vienna with Nureyev. I brought my parents there on the trip with me and they said it was the longest ovation they ever had. But there’s one that tops that: my 20th anniversary gala at the Met (New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, honoring her 20 years with American Ballet Theatre). … I danced every role in my repertoire. I even played the piano. Tony Randall was the master of ceremonies. Everyone was there to celebrate. It seemed to have gone by pretty quickly. … I was lucky that I didn’t have a lot of injuries. You could say I was lazy — or intelligent. I would stop before (pain). I was pretty consistent. I didn’t push past too much pain.

R-J: Do you miss performing? Or is staging ballets, such as NBT’s upcoming “Swan Lake,” as satisfying artistically?

Gregory: I loved the feeling of communicating with an audience. I miss that. But I did it long enough. I danced till I was 46, which was a little long. I like to stage things, but once it’s onstage, you’re out of it. Onstage, you were in control of yourself. You have to just let it go. For me, that’s the hardest part — I get so nervous for everybody.

R-J: What role does dance play in the cultural landscape?

Gregory: It’s still the stepsister. The lowest on the totem pole. It’s kind of sad for me — I always feel like people don’t give dance as much of a chance. If they went to see a good performance, they would get hooked. There’s music … beautiful bodies moving … the costumes, the stories. People think that it’s all little girls in pink tutus on their tippy-toes. … It has much more to it. I spent my whole life trying to make it more accessible.

R-J: What’s your favorite “Vegas-y” thing to do?

Gregory: I love to go to a show. I love all the Cirque shows. I’ve seen more concerts — Celine (Dion), Rod Stewart, Elton John. That’s Vegas-y. And I play the slot machines.

R-J:What’s your favorite un-“Vegas-y” thing to do?

Gregory: When my friends come to visit, they have to see the red rocks (in Red Rock Canyon). It’s spectacular, it’s gorgeous. … The Smith Center isn’t Vegas-y. I’m so glad I came here when I did. It’s a wonderful, wonderful gift to the city.

R-J: What’s your favorite thing about living in Las Vegas?

Gregory: The sun. I just love having that wonderful sun. I don’t care if it’s 115 degrees out.

Read more from Carol Cling at reviewjournal.com. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.