Guest Blogger- Timmorie Freeman

My First Month at Ballet West 

            Hi Everyone! My name is Timmorie Freeman and I am 17 years old. I have been dancing since I was about 5, but seriously since I was 10. I trained at the San Diego School of Ballet, until I moved to Chicago, where I trained with Madame Peff Modelski, for the 4 years I lived there, at the Faubourg School of Ballet and the Ruth Page School of Dance at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. For the next year, I will be training at the Ballet West Academy in the Professional Training Division!  I got this wonderful opportunity from attending the Youth America Grand Prix Finals this past year. Last week, I had officially finished my first month of training at Ballet West and I LOVE IT!!!

            I am lucky enough to be living in a house, which is about a mile and a half away from the BEAUTIFUL studios. There are 5 girls, including me, and we get along very well. We each have our own rooms and have 2 bathrooms to share. The girls who live downstairs have their own fridge, as do the girls upstairs, and we share the kitchen. Thankfully, we all knew each other from the Ballet West Summer Intensive, so there wasn't very much awkwardness. The girls and I are constantly laughing and joking, especially after long days of classes and rehearsals.

My Bed

            When the program started, we hit the ground running. We went straight into our full schedule with rehearsals and a few auditions. The schedule was quite an adjustment, after having a post-summer intensive break and not having many options for classes before I left for Utah. My daily schedule is as follows:

Monday

1:00-2:30- Technique

2:30-3:30- Stretch Class

4:00-5:30- Technique

Tuesday

1:00-2:30- Technique

2:30-3:30- Pas De Deux

4:00-5:45- Technique

6:45-8:00- Rehearsal

Wednesday

1:00-2:30- Technique

2:30-3:30- Variations

4:00-5:45- Technique

Thursday

1:00-2:30- Technique

2:30-3:30- Pointe

4:00-5:30- Technique

Friday

11:45-1:00- Rehearsal

1:00-2:30- Technique

2:30-3:30- Modern

4:00-5:30- Technique en Pointe

6:00-7:00- Rehearsal

7:00-9:00- Gala Rehearsal

Saturday

9:00-9:45- Movement Mentor Class

12:00-1:30- Technique

1:45-3:15- Contemporary

3:30-5:30- Nutcracker Rehearsals

Studio 2

            Throughout the week, we are taught by a few different teachers. We have Mr. Peter Merz, the Director the Academy, Ms. Jan Fugit, the Principal of the Academy, Ms. Heather Fryxell, Mr. Jeff Rodgers, Ms. Cati Snarr and Ms. Natalie Desch. All of these teachers have different backgrounds, while having strong ties to Ballet West. They each provide a different perspective and different corrections that you may not have heard before. With the way the building is designed, the school is well integrated with the company. Although they have their own floor, company members will often come to the Academy floor and watch classes or use open studios. You also never know who will walk by the studio windows to watch for a minute, Mr. Sklute included. Our teachers lovingly call this "Being under Sklute-iny".

            We are required to wear a uniform, which includes the kinds of tights, leotards and skirts that we wear. Our leotards are the Nadine style by Eleve, with the Ballet West Academy logo. The color of the leotard depends on your level and division. For example, the Elementary Division wears Periwinkle, the Intermediate Division wears Navy Blue, the Advanced Division wears Black and the Professional Training Division wears Gray. To distinguish levels within each division, we wear hip alignment belts that are different colors. The A's wear White belts, the B's wear Lilac belts, the C's wear Black belts, and if there's a D level, they wear Navy Blue belts.

Professional Training Division Uniform Front

Back

                                                                     

Advanced Division Uniform Front

Back

            I have found that having 2 technique classes a day, each day, is really taking a toll on my body. To combat the wear-and-tear of these classes, I make an ice bath for my feet in the morning and evening, followed by a contrast soak with warm water and Epsom salt. I also roll out before and after class with stretches to keep my ankles happy. If that doesn't work, I can always go to the PT room where they help us figure out what is going on and what we can do.

            Being in this program and spending so much time with the people in my class, I have already made some really great friends! We've had sleepovers, gone to dinners, gone to the mall, seen movies and made amazing memories. The program gives us the best of both worlds, the serious ballet training and a bit of a normal social life. One of my friends, Lucy, is even taking another one of my friends, Sabrina, to homecoming.

My Friends an Me

            In the Nutcracker, I will be a Page and a Vendor. The Vendor is in the First Act with the Party Scene and Pages are in the Second Act during the Opening and Finale. I am also in the A Cast which means that I get to tour to Ogden, about an hour away from Salt Lake City, to perform. Other performing opportunities include the Gala, Academy Invitational, Beauty and the Beast and the spring performance. The Gala is for the Company's opening night of Iconic Classics including Fancy Free, Symphony in C and Overgrown Path. The students with take part in a Grand DeFile to open the show! The Academy Invitational with be a show where students are able to perform variations. It is open to the public and tickets are free.

                                                        

The Girls in My Class and Me at the Nutcracker Audition

One thing that has been easier than I had expected, was/is learning how to live "on my own" and take care of myself. The first weekend, I did have to replace a shower head and I felt like such an adult. Things like grocery shopping aren't that bad because you get to pick out things that you like and know what you have for meals for the week. Laundry also isn't bad; unless you let it pile up or forget to wash your uniform and have to wash it in the morning, then wear it slightly damp to class. Sometimes, if I come home late from classes, it's hard to make dinner because I'm so tired and just want the food to appear. One thing that I think is helping is having some food that is already cooked. For example, if I'm making chicken stir-fry, I cook the chicken all at once and then use it throughout the week. It's a lot easier than having to cook chicken every night.

Hannah Fixing the Swiffer

The Shower Head that I Fixed

            One thing that I am very excited for is seeing my family and puppies during the coming week of my fall break. As I'm writing this, I'm actually in the airport in Phoenix. I have found that to get out of Salt Lake City, most of the flights go through Phoenix. I have about a three hour layover and will get to Chicago at about 5:30 am, but it's worth it to have an extra day with my family. I think that it will also be nice to give my body a bit of a break from my regular schedule.

            Lastly, I want to give an ENORMOUS thank you to Robbie and Gina for having me as a Guest Blogger. I have never done something like this before and it was a lot of fun! It's nice to be able to share my thoughts, new experiences and pictures with you guys. I hope that you have enjoyed and I hope to be able to do this again at some point(e)! –Timmorie

Ellison Ballet Year Round Professional Training Program Week 1 and 2 -Robbie Downey

If you enjoy my blog and videos follow by email here and never miss a thing. 

Hi everyone!!! So I made it to New York! My flight took off around 1pm on September 5th and I made it to the city a little after 9pm.  I had two large suitcases, a carry on suitcase, and a backpack. Once I got outside one of the workers asked if I wanted to use one of the carts that people left. Usually you would have to pay for it, but there were a couple sitting around. It really helped getting my luggage to the taxi stand.  I think I got to the dorms sometime after 10pm, there was a decent amount of traffic. It felt a lot like leaving for my summer intensive but I would be gone much longer this time! Only home for holidays.

My going away party with all of my best friends and sister! 

At the airport. No crying! 

I currently have a pretty small room. My roommate didn't come until that Monday, so it was fine for just me.  Once all of our stuff was in here together, it was tight.  We haven't really finished unpacking.  I then saw my friends room the next day and it was way bigger! We are supposed to be moving rooms in October.

I couldn't really fall asleep until around 3am, which is 12am California time.  The next day I woke up around 11 am. Before I headed out I facetimed with my friends Audrey and Sophie.  I eventually got ready and then headed to Juice Generation.  I got the Smooth Strawberry Smoothie and added spinach.  It was really good, I could only taste the fruit! After this I headed to Bed Bath and Beyond to grab some things for my room.  I then headed back to the dorms, and went to go say hi to some of my friends.  I then came back to my room and facetimed my sister for a bit.

On Monday my friend Gloria and I headed out.  We stopped at Columbus circle and I grabbed an acai bowl from Jamba Juice. We didn't really know what to do so we walked down to 66th and then headed to the area of the dorms.  We didn't want to go back  inside yet, so her roommate met us.  We then looked in a couple of stores, one of them was Urban Outfitters.  After this I went to get my eyebrows threaded...much needed!!  Once I got back to the dorms I met my roommate! Her name is Emma and she is really nice! After I talked with her and her mom for a few minuets, I went downstairs to say hi to my friend Gillian, who I know from summer. Then my friend Taylor and I headed to Trader Joes to grab a few groceries. I love TJ! ;)  Once I was back I went to Whole Foods and then down to hang out with my friends in one of their rooms.

Some of my friends and I needed to go pick up our white leotards from Grishko. We have a set style we are to buy made by Ainslie Wear.  I also had to pick up a pair of Grishko flat shoes.  We then headed to Capezio, which was near by, to see if they had any of the Prima Soft stretchy ribbons. They didn't have the exact ones I use so I just ended up ordering them from Discount Dance.

Tutu in the Grishko Store.

A cute baby shoe in the Grishko Store. 

On the Wednesday before I left California, my foot started bothering me.  It hurt to press on my metatarsal below my third and fourth toes.  It also hurt on releve.  It was more of a sore pain, but I was still worried.  On Wednesday morning my foot felt way better, but I was still going to let my teacher, Ms. Forrest, know about it.

I arrived to the studio around 9:30 to warm up.  We had technique class at 10:30 am and then pointe afterwards.  For the first three days we started off really slow, like we were beginners.  We did every combination facing the barre and they were all basic and slow.  It is amazing to start off this way because you get to pick everything apart.  This is so helpful because most of us learned new things that are extremely important to work on.  Ms. Forrest finds all the little details, which are extremely important to our technique.  Our barre on the first day was probably around two hours.  Mainly because we were moving slow and talking a lot about corrections. We did a little bit of center work and pointe work.  After this we had an hour break and then orientation.

Gaynor Minden Paws! 

After my first day at Ellison I headed over to Gaynor Minden to go try on some leotards for them as fit models. Another Gaynor Girl was also there, her name is Abby.  Before we tried on the leotards they took a look at our custom shoes.  They thought mine looked good, so I would let them know how I liked them once I sewed them.  When we were trying on our shoes, two of the dancers from Trockadero came in to pick up their pointe shoes! I thought it was so cool!!! Trockadero is male dancers on pointe. It's a great, fun show! Basically we tried on a new design that is still in the making!  I also met Eliza; she designed and developed Gaynor Mindens!!

Gaynor Minden Paws and Sweater Tights! <3

On Thursday morning before class we all helped each other review combinations.  We learn new combinations at the beginning of the week and continue using them for the rest of the week.  Usually she will add to the combinations or add additional combinations.  We were all sore and it lasted the rest of the week!

After class, during our break, I usually like to write down corrections in my notebook.  I already bought mine before the program started, but Ms. Forrest recommended for all of us to buy one.  It is extremely helpful because there is so much information being given to you, so if you write it down you will always have it there.  Also, in companies they don't usually work on technique.  Sure you may get a few simple corrections here and there, but its mainly class and then rehearsals.  Ms. Forrest said that these notebooks will most likely help us in the future.  It will always be nice to review the corrections and to have them written down.

Friday was pretty similar to the rest of the days.  Slower technique and pointe class followed by workshop later in the day. In workshop this past week we just worked on technique.  We were able to ask questions about some of our corrections.

After class on Friday, Gillian, Taylor, and I went to 16 Handles, and the looked around Urban Outfitters.

Me at Urban.

On Saturday morning I went to brunch with some of my friends from Ellison. We went to The Butcher's Daughter and it was soo good! It was a super cute restaurant.  We then walked down Mulberry St.  Later in the day we walked around So Ho for a bit.  I then came back to the dorms and hung out with some of my friends there.

The Butcher's Daughter! I had French Toast! =)

On Sunday I went to go take Mr. Ellison's class at Steps.  It was a good class for me!  After class we all talked with Mr. Ellison for about an hour and a half.  Some of us asked questions; I asked about how to get a deeper demi plie  He gave us some ways to help loosen the top of the ankle.  There is this little spot of the ankle that gets tense.  If you flex your foot, it is the indent right in the middle of the ankle.  He massaged mine on one foot and it actually hurt!  You can feel it more when someone massages it for you, rather than when you do it on yourself. 

Me with Taylor and Alejandro at Steps.

Rainy day in the city.

WEEK 2

On Monday we had technique class at 10:30.  Ms. Forrest assigned us barre spots, which she hasn't done before so we were all curious to know why.  In the studio we were in for class I couldn't see myself.  This is good sometimes so you can feel what you are doing, rather than constantly looking at yourself in the mirror.  Class was "slower" today because we were learning the combinations and talking more in-between.  We now have one hand on the barre, but are still going on the simpler side. Class actually went by super fast.  It was almost 12:30 and we were still on barre! We did a little bit of center and then had to end.  After our hour lunch break we continued a bit of class and then went into pointe work.  Yay!!! We had pas de deux at the end of the day from 2:30-4!  My partner is Arne, but sometimes I go with Forrest.  Mr. Ellison said we are going to start with simpler combinations and slowly build up.  We also have to remember our combinations for partnering class.

After class on Tuesday we all sat down and had a really nice talk with Ms. Forrest.  We all talked about the coming year and how we should not bring ourselves down.  Do not constantly be like, "oh that was terrible", or, "I suck, I can't do this." Be positive about everything!!  We are such a great group and we are all willing to help each other!

Everyday class starts at 10:30 am.  Before class on Tuesday we all reviewed combinations together. Technique class is supposed to go from 10:30am-12:30pm but we went over into our pointe class for a bit.  After this we then put our pointe shoes on and worked until 1:30pm.  We then had workshop at the end of the day.

Heading to class.

Wednesday was the same schedule as Monday.  In Pas de Deux we started working on The Nutcracker Grand Pas de Deux!  The music is so pretty and I am really excited to work on this pas! We ended up going over 30 minutes, working on this pas de deux.  After classes, I went to Central Park with a couple of my friends.  Once I was back at the dorms I facetimed my sister for a bit.  I miss everyone from home so much!!!!!

In workshop on Thursday, Ms. Forrest wanted to do a pirouette combination and a Grande Allegro combination, but we ended up only working on pirouettes.  We spent a majority of the time working on chaines.  She had us go in partners and film each other.  We then analyzed the videos.  Ms. Forrest would tell us to look at only one part of our body at a time.  I learned so much from doing this and now I know how much goes into something like chaine turns. 

Stretching after class.

We all love to help each other! My friend Brianna giving me a few corrections! =)

I woke up Friday Morning and received and email saying that Mr. Ellison would be teaching our technique class!  He wanted to see what we have been working on, so we used Ms. Forrest barre combinations.  We did a short center but continued working for a bit into our break.  After our break we had pointe class with Ms. Forrest.  I finally received my ribbons and had sewed my new custom pointe shoes the night before! I really like how they are looking.  My bunions (especially  my left one) get slightly irritated in new pointe shoes, so I changed into my previous pair before pas de deux.

On Saturday I slept in! I love sleeping in hehe.  At around 12 I did some laundry and then headed to this clothing store that was having a huge sale! I have been looking for some type of black booties for a while now, so that was my main reason for going in.  My friends Gillian and Emma also came.  The store was pretty crazy but I ended up getting these cute black booties for 10 bucks! Yay! After this I headed back to the dorms for a bit and then my friends and I grabbed a quick lunch from Whole Foods.  Gillian and I then explored Home Goods...I love that store. ;)  I then headed to Bed Bath and Beyond to get a blender.  I can't wait to make smoothies now!  Later in the evening I made some dinner and then went to 16 Handles with my friend Juliette.

At 12:30pm on Sunday is Mr Ellison's class at Steps. I went to go take his class and it went well! After class me and some of my friends went to Levain Bakery. Ahh they have such amazing cookies! I then went and got a few things from Trader Joe's.  Later in the evening I hung out with some of my friends at the dorms.  

Thanks for reading! My schedule is crazy but I will blog as much as possible. And thank you BC for making writing this blog on a laptop possible =)))))

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Love,

Robbie 
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We now have MERDE sweats at www.balletfreak.com . Christmas MERDE shirts coming soon. 

So excited for Fall!

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2015 YAGP NYC Finals Day 4

2015 Youth America Grand Prix Finals Day 4 by Robbie Downey 

This morning I had a short warm up class with my teachers at ABT.  My classmates Danielle and Brian were there as well. We did a quick class because I had to leave early for my master class with Ernst Meisner, Director of HET Dutch National Ballet II.  After the quick warm up I ran my variation, Talisman.  It went pretty well today and if I perform it like that tomorrow I will be happy with myself.  Some corrections I got were to extend my finger tips in the last diagonal and to soften my arms in the movement before each attitude. After running the variation all the way through once, I ran the last diagonal one more time.  Once I finished rehearsing I got ready to head over to the Ailey studios for my master class.  Lisa, Danielle's mom, brought me a vegan cookie and this grapefruit, orange and lemon juice drink from Peace Foods Cafe.  They were both delicious.

A quick snap of the city on the way to Ailey Studios.

Once I got to Ailey I put my stuff down in the dressing room and headed upstairs to my class.  The studio had such a pretty view of the city buildings. I wish I had my phone upstairs so I could have taken a picture!  The class with Mr. Meisner was great, I really enjoyed it.  A big correction he gave the class was to dance more. We could all do nice turns but the positions we ended in were not exciting. Using your head and actually dancing with your upper body more can help you with the rest of the movements. Mr. Meisner said he would be watching the performances tomorrow!! This master class ended around 1:20 then my friend Mira and I went to go take a YAGP contemporary class at MMAC at 1:30.  We took a cab over and got there just in time. Honestly, I failed at most of the combinations in this class because I do not have a lot of contemporary at home.  I had a lot of fun in the class though.  

After the contemporary class I changed into some leggings and my merde shirt.  I headed outside and found my friend Mira again.  I logged into my YAGP live stream to watch my friend Danielle perform because I would not make it to the theater in time.  As we were walking towards the subway station Mira and I watched Danielle on my phone.  She looked great!  I also ran into my friend Timmorie, who is doing the YAGP intensive. The intensive is a series of master classes. It was really nice to see her.  I then made my way to Skirball on the Subway.  I didn't get too lost coming out of the subway station today.  I think I know where I am going from that stop now!  My mom and Kyla were at the theater before me watching some of the juniors.

Kyla took a picture with Lauren Lovette and also got a personalized signed poster. Lauren is a soloist with New York City Ballet. She started dancing at age 11. By age 13 they were asking her to stay but her mom thought she was too young. You can tell she loves dancing with NYCB. The event was a sponsored event by Capezio.  Kyla was pretty excited since she is attending the SAB California Summer Intensive.  

I got to the theater just in time to get my poster.  She is super sweet and really down to earth.  She said that she is also from California!  I really loved meeting her.

I then went to go watch the Pas de Deux category. My friends from Ellison Ballet, Theo and Juliette, were INSANE!! They practically received a standing ovation. They are only 15 and 12. They are both so young and already such beautiful dancers. I loved watching them perform Grand Pas Classique live. Danielle and Brian did a great job with their Bluebird Pas de Deux! My friend Jessica He (pictured below) from The Rock School in Philly performed a Pas de Deux from Coppelia. She is simply stunning and it was so great to see her perform.  The Pas de Deux group definitely has some tough competition!

Later I posted the picture of Lauren Lovette signing my poster on instagram and both YAGP and herself re-posted it! I was so excited and apparently so were my friends because everyone was tagging me! It's crazy what social media has done for sharing information and events! 

We grabbed some dinner, juice and vegan desserts from Wholefoods and headed back to put our feet up. Tonight I will steam my costume and roll out my muscles. I will prepare everything for tomorrow and go over my variations and then try to go to sleep! If you want to watch any of the competition tomorrow you can see it livestream here http://www.visualartsmasters.com/purchase-live-broadcast-access. Be sure to close your window when done watching or your time keeps running. I should be on around 2pm EST. Here is the schedule >> CLICK HERE . 

Final round results will be announced as follows:

3PM On Tuesday - Junior Women

9PM On Tuesday - All Men (posted to facebook and twitter)

10AM On Wednesday - Senior Women

It sounds cliche but just being here feels like winning. This is such a great experience and I have seen most of my friends and have enjoyed the extra rehearsals in the ABT studios as well as the master classes taught by some highly qualified instructors! 

PS- While stretching my calves I watched my Talisman from two years ago and YIKES!! Video is such a great tool to learn from yourself and see your progress. 

You can follow me on twitter and instagram @balletbabble and on facebook www.facebook.com/balletbabble and snapchat is TheBalletBabble. 

Goodnight! 

Jessica Kinnaman Guest Blog 2015 YAGP NYC Day 1

Hi my name is Jessica Kinnaman (@jlk_ballet on instagram) and I am 16 years old. I have been dancing since I was four years old but seriously since I was ten. I am currently training with Akhmedova Ballet Academy (my teacher is Jacqueline Akhmedova) I absolutely love it there and the training is amazing!  Every year Akhmedova Ballet Academy goes to Youth America Grand Prix, so this year we went to the Austin TX regionals where I placed 2nd in the classical category, top 12 in the contemporary category and ABA won together 3rd place in ensembles!  I was so excited when I recieved the scores and found out I was invited to compete in the YAGP NYC Finals as a soloist!

DAY 1 blog:

So yesterday I arrived in New York City with Akhmedova Ballet Academy and it took around 4 hours to get there so with a little music and some school work it went by quite fast. When we got to the hotel at 7pm our priorities were shower, food, and sleep so that I could be completed energized for my contemporary piece (My Secret) which I performed today. 

I got to the theatre where YAGP was being held which was the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Center, around an hour early so I was able to warm-up and get ready. The studio was open when I got there so I was able to have a lot of room to practice. Around an hour later I headed back stage to do open stage for around 10-15 min. with around 15-20 other dancers where I tested out the stage and went through my piece and corrections. Also, all the staff were incredibly helpful with helping me get to the right spot at the right time.  I peformed around noon and I was pretty happy with how I did other than being a bit shaky from the nerves.  

After I got off stage I had a whole lot of water and headed towards the lobby where all the different ballet brands such as Sancha, Grishko, and others had tables set up. There was a lot of different free items for the competitors such as a YAGP jacket, tights, a makeup bag and more which was really nice. I also ran into a few people that I knew and talked to them for a while.

Once Akhmedova Ballet Academy and I left to get some lunch and rested at the hotel for an hour or two, we headed out to Manhattan Movement and Arts Center where YAGP was holding their work shop classes. The class was an hour and a half and there was about 40 students taking it as well.  The class was a little different from what I was used to (I do Vagaonova) but other than that, it was a fun class with good corrections.

After class was dinner and back to the hotel. It was a full day! My friends and I stretched and cleaned up and then it was off to bed!

-Jessica

Don't forget to follow my instagram to keep up with other updates! @jlk_ballet ♡

Interview with Henrik Lamark - Professional Ballet Dancer and Blogger Extraordinaire

Henrik Lamark, author of Tights and Tiaras.com. © Jørgen Mathisen

Henrik Lamark

Age: 25

Born in Ålesund, Norway

Lives in Győr, Hungary and dances with The Győr National Ballet of Hungary

At what age did you begin dancing?

I started dancing already at four, but I had a severe hip displacement, and went through a series of surgery from age 6 to about 8. I started dancing more seriously in my teens. I wrote a post on Tights and Tiaras about how I began to dance, and what the surgery did (and didn't) mean to my career called "The importance of not assuming". 

How did you know you wanted to dance?

I'm not sure how, but I know I told my parents I wanted to become a dancer already at age three. I have no clue where that thought came from, but being a stubborn bastard, I lived up to the idea. It wasn't like it was always written in stone that I should dance either - my background and abilities were far from ideal, and I didn't really decide to become a dancer until my mid teens, but the interest were always there, and I never doubted it.

Being a boy, did you feel pressure to not dance ?

I did in academic school and from other kids, but fortunately, I always had my parents and my teachers that supported me and cheered me on to continue doing what I enjoyed, and not listen to others. Without that support, I don't think I would have continued dancing. Today, that is one of the things that engage me, showing the world it's ok for a boy to dance! Not all young male dancers is lucky to have the support around them I had, and that is a shame. In my post on men in ballet I try to confront some of the prejudices connected to male dancing.

Henrik as Ego from Carmina Burana Hungarian Opera House

Did anyone ever tell you you could NOT be  dancer? If so why?

My doctors kind of did, although not to me directly as much as to my parents. Today, I am very happy that my parents chose to let that decision be mine instead of anyone elses. I was always well informed about the handicap my hip surgery could cause, but it was never presented to me as a problem, and therefore, I didn't treat it as one either. In short, my parents gave me the opportunity to find out for myself if my legs could do this, and it turned out, they could. I have had very little problems with my hips in my career, and many of my colleagues don't even know about the surgery I had as a kid. If they would have listened to the doctors, I would never even have started what would become the obsession of my life. 

Were your parents supportive?

Always! They were, and still are, the pillars my whole career was built on. I know I can always rely on them to support me and help me make good decisions. They are my biggest fans :) I wrote more about that too in the post I linked to earlier. 

When did you realize dance would be a career for you?

When I was accepted to the Hungarian State Dance Academy at 18, I was thrilled by finally doing dance on a professional level. But that it would actually become my career wasn't really clear to me until I was standing in my first company, the Donetsk Ballet of Ukraine, with a contract and a spot in the boys changing rooms. That was a great feeling - I did it! I'm a dancer!

Practicing with partner Anna Krupp from the Hungarian National Ballet 

for pas de deux. © Daniel Bolla

What is your least favorite thing about ballet?

It's so frickin' hard! Ballet technique is just a pain in the behind, to be honest!! Everything needs to be repeated until boredom, polished and exercised until it works - everybody who dances know it takes a lot of hard work!

What is your favorite thing about ballet?

My favorite thing about ballet is that it allows me to "turn off" the rest of the world. Dancing requires such a devotion and concentration, when I dance, there is nothing else. It's a great feeling, a mixture of total calmness and adrenaline. It's like zen, really, peace of mind through hard physical work. Or, at least for me, it is… 

Most difficult skill to master?

I have probably spent more time practicing pirouettes than any other part of the classical ballet repertoire, still I wouldn't say I have mastered it yet. That's whats great about ballet - you never master it, you only improve. There is always room for improvement, to be better, to take it up another notch.

Blogger Extraordinaire

You have your own blog Tights and Tiaras, how did that come about?

Ballet is often considered a very closed and inapproachable world, and I wanted to open it up a little. Many people have little idea of what it means to live like a professional dancer, and I wanted to share my experiences, my passion for dance and my life as a dancer with those who don't necessarily know all the ballets, the steps and the whole "world" that exists around dance. So I started Tights and Tiaras. Today, two years later, it's still developing, but I have gotten a good, solid base of readers that support me and helps me continue to develop the site. I have a lot of plans for the blog in the future, now I just need to find the time and the means to actually put the plans into life..

I saw the t-shirts where can people buy them?

The Tights and Tiaras t-shirts were the first item of some merchandize I wanted to create for the blog. The shirts can be bought from our merchandize page

What are your future goals?

I still want to do a lot of dancing in my life, I want to learn new techniques and dance several different pieces for as long as my body will let me. But I also want to develop as a person, experience a lot, travel, meet lots of different people. I guess my goals are to make as much out of life as possible, both concerning my passion, and outside of it. 

What advice to you have for other young dancers, especially the boys?

Work your butt of! Don't rest a day - you are young, full of energy, and you are laying the foundation of what your whole dancing life will be built upon. Listen to your teachers, your mentors, your parents and your friends, but try to figure out things on yourself as well. No two bodies are the same, but you are lucky - you don't need to know how all of them work, just the one thats yours! Work with it, get to know your body! What happens if I do this, or that? How can my body do that turn, that jump, that pose? And follow your heart! The most important thing of all is that you enjoy what you are doing. Only then will you be truly happy, and only then will that happiness and love for dance show through your movements! 

What is your favorite ballet?

Romeo and Juliet for it's passion. Giselle for it's diversity. Swan Lake for the ideal. Bajadére for the depth. The big ballets are all great tales, with so much more to them than what you can see from a short clip on YouTube. One must simply go to the theatre and breathe in the whole ballet to understand what a great art-form it is. I don't have one favorite ballet, it all depends on my mood, my day, the production and the theatre. 

What is your favorite variation?

Albrecht's second act variation is great, it is a simple variation, but has the depth, allows you to add your personality and some story into a quite short piece. I guess that is my favorite one, although there are so many good variations. All for their own purpose, I guess. 

You recently had some time off due to surgery. What was the surgery for and did you want to insane!?

A part of the meniscus of my right knee broke off in December, and I had to have it removed. It is a relatively frequent injury, and not a very complicated surgery. Still, it's surgery, and recovering takes time. I did want to go crazy from not being able to train, but once the knee got good enough to start working with a physical therapist and such, I got a bit more relaxed mentally as well. I have also learned a lot about my body in the recovery process, for which I'm happy! I'm hoping that when I finally recover completely (the doc says March is realistic…) I'm going to be stronger than I was before the injury, both physically and mentally! 

How long will it take you to get back to your prior level of dancing?

Well, it depends on how the knee handles the stress and workload that comes with full training.. The first period of recovery was slower than we thought, but now, I'm working with full   intensity, and things are getting better fast. But with the training comes stress, and just yesterday my knee swelled up to like three times it's size, not a good sign. But I'm working on it every day, and there are small improvements all the time, so I'm confident it will turn out good.

Did you ever compete?

I did some internal competitions in school, but I never attended any big international competition. 

What do you think about competitions?

I think competitions can be a great way for a dancer to improve their skills and compare themselves to others from other schools and companies. That said, I think it's important to remember ballet is about more than just bravura and tricks, which tends to get more attention at a competition. 

Who has been the most influential person in your life as a dancer?

My first and my last ballet teachers! My master, Mr. György Szakály, taught me the last three years of school, and I learned a lot from him. But also my first teacher was very important to me. Her name was Heather Hebbert, she taught ballet to kids in my home city in northern Norway. She was a great teacher, strict, but kind, and was very supportive. I think I learned the love for dance from her!

What shoes do you wear?

I wear Sansha pro's - I like how they are soft and shapeable to the foot. But I sometimes feel their fit is a bit like the one of a garbage bag. I guess I haven't found 'my shoe' yet, although I've tried quite a few ballet shoes through the years… 

Where do you buy your dance wear for men?

I usually buy a lot of my dance wear in sports shops. I like to use clothes that aren't necessarily made specially for dancers, it's cheaper, and they are often of better quality than dance wear. I also usually buy dance wear from dance shops when I'm traveling or on tour, it's cool to have something that reminds you of places you have been. 

My company provide me with the basic dance wear, like dance belts, shoes and such, which is great, both financially, and time wise - we don't have to spend time finding and buying those things ourselves.

Henrik's Links

Blog: Tights and Tiaras

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TightsandTiaras

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tightsandtiaras

Please add anything else you would like to add:

Thank you for featuring me on the site, and keep doing your stuff, I enjoy it a lot! For all dancers out there, keep dancing, put your heart in it, and show what you do to the world! Tell folks about Tights and Tiaras and dance on! :)

Cheers, 

H