Jenelle Manzi Juggles New York City Ballet Roles and a Nutrition Start-Up

Jenelle Manzi, a 34-year-old dancer who has been with New York City Ballet for nearly two decades, divides her time between performing in The Nutcracker and running a nutrition company called Get Golden. She said entrepreneurship gives her a rush, but performing remains singular: "The feeling you get when you leave the stage and your mind is still buzzing, your body’s still buzzing — it’s a high like nothing else," she said.

Manzi traces her start in nutrition to years of injuries, surgery and recovery that sidelined her for more than two years, and to ongoing inflammation and food sensitivities. She worked with a doctor and a nutritionist, began a recipe blog about healing and eventually sold granola bars she first made in her toaster oven before launching Get Golden.

Her weekday begins early. She wakes at about 6:15 or 6:30, meditates with a vibration plate she credits for helping her lymphatic circulation, and does pool kicks to wake up her muscles. Breakfast is often overnight oats made with Get Golden protein. She checks Slack and urgent emails before heading to the theater for company class, which runs from 10:30 to 11:30.

Manzi and her colleagues arrive early to stretch and to sew their custom pointe shoes, which come unsewn. She said she goes through a pair every one to two days and often leaves voice notes or takes calls while sewing because her hands are occupied. Rehearsal runs from 11:30 to 1:30 for the winter season.

Key Topics

Culture, Jenelle Manzi, Get Golden, The Nutcracker, Pointe Shoes, Hudson Yards