This ballet dancer used his skills to save a homeless man who fell onto subway tracks
If you need proof that ballet requires incredible strength, look no further than the story of a New York City ballet dancer who used his skills to save a homeless man who fell onto subway tracks. Gray Davis, a 31-year-old dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, was headed home from his wife’s ballet performance on Saturday night when he spotted an unconscious man lying on the subway tracks.
Davis, who was recovering from a herniated disk, leapt onto the tracks and lifted the man back onto the platform with the help of several bystanders.
When he heard a train coming, the dancer realized he had just moments to save himself.
"I never realized how high it was," Davis told The New York Times, describing thedistance between the tracks and the platform. “Luckily, I’m a ballet dancer, so I swung my leg up.
The man Davis saved regained consciousness upon being taken to the hospital. Yesterday, the dancer returned to the stage to perform as a pirate in “Le Corsaire.” Prior to the performance, American Ballet Theater’s artistic director Kevin McKenzie gathered Davis’ colleagues to tell them what he’d done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpOExmWDaFo?feature=oembed
“I’m sure that all of us at some point wonder what would we do if something like that happened? he said. “How would we react?
McKenzie praised Davis’ courage and selflessness before presenting him with a floral wreath — the traditional tribute for a dancer. We certainly can’t think of anyone who deserves this tribute more than Davis.
