Interview with Ksenia Ovsyanick

It is with abject delight that we welcome Ksenia Ovsyanick and her husband Zdenek Konvalina to our 2026 Ballet Under the Stars stage. The first time that they have performed together at Hatch House since 2019 - an unforgettable night.

Taking time out from rehearsing Romeo & Juliet for an open air gala in the Czech Republic, Ksenia shares her thoughts on the 20 year legacy of Covent Garden Dance.

Ksenia is a Belarusian–born British ballet dancer and international performing artist. An award winning Principal Dancer with Staatsballett Berlin from 2016 to 2024, she now performs internationally across classical and contemporary repertoire, collaborating with choreographers and artists across disciplines.

Ksenia began her career with the English National Ballet, where she performed her first Giselle at the age of 20. She is currently Associate Guest Artist with English National Ballet and Resident Principal Dancer with National Theatre Brno.  ​Ksenia trained at the Belarusian State Ballet College and later continued her studies at the English National Ballet School, following a scholarship awarded by the Prix de Lausanne.

Photo credit: Vivian Young

Your career has been meteoric, and you have also become a mother. With all the experience you have garnered over the years, what do you hope to bring to this year's performance and how has being a mother shaped you as a dancer?

Becoming a mother has definitely made me appreciate more than ever how important it is to value every moment. In a way, that's something I hope to bring to this year's performances as well.

As a performer, it is important to me that every moment and every movement tells its story, and I hope through that through the audience will get drawn into the journey of the pieces from beginning to end.

What made you want to return to the Covent Garden Dance Company for another production?

I always enjoy coming back to perform with the Covent Garden Dance Company. It’s an unique event that brings together high-quality art and a very special setting, nature and atmosphere.

I was actually involved in some of the company’s very early productions and have returned many times since. Every experience has been memorable, and it’s always a pleasure to be part of it again.

Photo credit: Jakub Jira

It is our 20th anniversary and our final year at Hatch House, how would you describe the ethos of the company and the atmosphere of performing at the venue?

Performing outdoors and in unconventional settings always comes with a lot of challenges.

Bringing a production like this together requires adaptability, patience, courage, and a simply strong desire to deliver a beautiful evening.

And I think everybody involved in this production has always delivered that. I think that spirit has always been at the heart of Covent Garden Dance, and I think Matt always chooses to work with extraordinary people. There’s a wonderful atmosphere both on and off stage. 

Photo credit: Andrea Mascolo - Ksenia & Zdenek dancing in Dubai in 2019

How long have you and Zdenek been married and what will you be performing in July?

We are going to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary soon, and we are excited to bring back to Hatch House a wonderful piece “Cello” by Nacho Duato and a piece “Lightness of Being” that I choreographed for the two of us. 

How important are companies and galas such as these? 

They help broaden the audience for ballet and dance, allow people to experience a diverse range of repertoire in a single evening and perhaps discover work they might not otherwise encounter. They also bring ballet a little out of the box. Seeing dance in such close proximity and in a more intimate setting allows audiences to experience different sides of ballet and dance, and to connect with the artform in a different way.

Photo credit: Serghei Gerchiu

This year, we have Viola Pantuso & Joseph Sissens, Xander Parish & Joy Womack, Myriam Ould Braham and Mickaël Lafon and Zai Calliste and Taela Graff performing alongside you and Zdenek, who are you most looking to watching? 

It is going to be a beautiful programme, as each of these artists brings something interesting and unique. I hope I will get a chance to sneak out to watch each of the pieces in the evening! 

A local dance school of young dancers will also be performing a new work. They have watched three years of Hatch House rehearsals including several pieces you performed, how important is it to provide performance opportunities such as these to the next generation?

It's such a beautiful initiative, and I believe it will prove to be an invaluable experience for young dancers. I’m sure performing in itself is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow, but also sharing the stage with professional dancers and seeing the process up close I hope will be encouraging and inspiring for them.

What would be your dream role to dance next? Or have you danced them all?

There are still so many!  It is always the next one!

Can you tell us something people may not know about you?

I have business and economics degree. I cannot ride a bike!

Photo credit: SigneRoderik - Hatch House 2016

What are your hopes for the future of Covent Garden Dance’s at our new venue of Charlotte’s Lake?

I hope it continues to inspire both the audience and the dancers who come to perform.

Photo credit: Andrea Mascolo - Ballet Under the Stars, Dubai 2019

From tiny acorns, mighty forests grow

For 20 years, the Covent Garden Dance Company has sought to offer its audiences abroad and in the UK, unique access to watch world class artists and world premières, alongside inspiring new generations of dancers to create and showcase their passion for dance.

In this, our 20th year, and our final performance at Hatch House, we are bringing Étoiles and young dancers together on the same Harlequin stage, in a celebration of the uniquely emotional connections, only dance can encapsulate

Photo credit: Marina Feldman Photography & Amber Dower Hunt

We are therefore delighted to announce the commission of a new piece entitled The statue of affinity created by the celebrated Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance, Bath. We interviewed Annette Hind, third generation Principal of the 100+year old dance school about the piece, its inspiration and the role Covent Garden Dance has played in the school’s annual training programme.

First, about the school…

Born out of an indignance at Mr Whittle’s refusal to let his daughter join the stage with Gracie Fields, Dorothy aged just 14, founded ‘The Dainty Dots’ dance school in a church hall in Portsmouth. A born performer, and a bright and determined young woman, Dorothy married naval man Alan Coleborn in 1934 and after setting up dance schools as far afield as London and Scotland, the family settled in Bath in 1941.  

During the war, Dorothy didn’t let rationing dampen spirits. Home dyed tracing cloth was transformed into eclectic costumes for morale boosting performances, with Dorothy playing the piano whilst instructing her students over the top of her music.

By the time Dorothy reached retirement, both her daughter Annabel and her granddaughter Annette had taken up the running of the school. Ready to take the next grand jeté into expansion, in 1993, Dorothy's daughter, Annabel and Granddaughter, Annette moved the dance school from the family home to the purpose-built, spacious studios at Englishcombe Court. Today, over 100 years after its founding and with her own daughter a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet Company - Annette, continues the family legacy, proudly leading a fantastic team to teach the next generation of students ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop and modern.

I

n September, the school will have 23 students training as Associates with the Royal Ballet School and is also an affiliate school of English National Ballet’s Ballet Futures programme.

How long have you been coming to Hatch House as audience members and what impact has watching the rehearsals of this local production had upon the children?

As a dance school we have been bringing students to watch the Ballet Under the Stars rehearsals for the past four years. It has been wonderful to watch the children be inspired by some of their dancing idols. Being able to watch the artists warm up, run technical and dress rehearsals on such a personal level is magical. It has become a favourite day in the Dorothy Coleborn calendar.

Dorothy Coleborn dance students watching the rehearsal at Hatch House in 2023

What do you like about the ethos of the Covent Garden Dance Company?

Many ballet galas have traditionally been very exclusive; the high prices mean many families simply cannot afford to take their children to watch artists such as those making up the Covent Garden Dance Company. I think the ethos of CGDC is different; by offering a matinee or rehearsal in exchange for a donation to a sister charity that supports new artists and new works, you are opening up the doors not only to people who already love dance, but to those who may not have accessed that world before.

Children have long memories and being bewitched by the beauty and artistry of a world class performance lasts a lifetime.

Do you have a favourite memory of bringing the students to the rehearsals?

It has to be when the dancers are in their warm up clothes and then they reappear in their beautiful costumes. The children feel they are part of a process that no one else sees.

Dorothy Coleborn dance students watching the rehearsal at Hatch House in 2024

It is the 20th anniversary of the Company and across the years multiple new works and new artists have been given a spotlight alongside international stars, what does this opportunity to present a new work mean for the students and the school?

This is the second time that we have been commissioned to perform for the Company. Previously our dancers performed an existing piece of our own repertoire for the Dicky Buckle fundraiser. This time, the invitation to create a new piece and share the stage with such world-renowned artists over four days is an incredible honour.

Commissioning new works is vital to the sustainability and longevity of the art. In an era that is witnessing an unprecedented surge of AI, never has there been a bigger reason to innovate, celebrate and nurture new artists and talent.

Ballet Under the Stars is offering our dance school the opportunity to share our creativity and teaching with others, we pride ourselves on the success of our students; not just by the number of successful auditions but on the life skills that performance and craft encourage.

What is the piece about?

To complement the beauty of the location, the ballet is set in a walled garden in the early 1900’s. At its centre stands a mysterious statue while children play happily around it. One curious little girl becomes fascinated by the statue and studies it with wonder and kindness. Gradually through their quiet connection, the statue begins to trust the little girl, and an enchanting friendship starts to blossom.

What inspired the piece?

Over the past four years of watching the Ballet Under the Stars rehearsals in the stunning gardens of Hatch House - both rain and shine (!) we have been inspired by the surroundings, by the wonder of children and by the unique connections that people make when watching a dance performance. My vision was to bring all these aspects together in this piece.  

How excited are the children?

Oh my goodness, can you even imagine how excited they already are? This is an incredible opportunity for them - not just performing at a venue this stunning, and in terms of working really hard together to try and emulate excellence, but also the behind-the-scenes friendships they are forming and will go on to cherish. To dance in front of a garden full of people who love dance will be so exciting for them. They are a passionate and expressive group eager to share the narrative with the audience and each other through the choreography.

What do you hope the audience take away from the piece or feel as it is performed?

I hope that the audience will feel inspired by the children's performances. To witness a future generation of dancers on the same stage as some of the greatest dancers in the world is an emotional concept. Everybody starts somewhere and I hope the audience feels their excitement and love for self expression through dance.

Who knows, this opportunity could lead to a wonderful career in any walk of life; it takes pride, confidence and enthusiasm to put yourself on a stage of this kind, so whether they grow into CEOs, good parents or Prima Ballerinas, it is preparation, hard work and performances like this that plant the seed.

Who are you most looking forward to watching this year?

Zai Calliste - We watched him on the Hatch House stage last year at a time when he had just reached the end of his training at the English National Ballet, and now he is in the ENB Company and has just won an Emerging Dancer Award for technical excellence!

“He is proof of the 20th Anniversary legacy of the Covent Garden Dance Company - it is all about giving a platform to new talent and offering audiences a broad and varied programme of repertoire and new works. That is what keeps ballet and dance alive.”

Interview with Viola Pantuso

We are delighted to welcome back Viola Pantuso, Soloist of the Royal Ballet, to our 20th Anniversary, Ballet Under the Stars stage.

Since performing the world premiere of Calvin Richardson’s The Lighthouse at Hatch House in 2024, Viola’s rise through the Royal Ballet Company has been nothing short of meteoric.

Photo credit: Eva Nys

Chicago born dancer, Viola Pantuso, joined The Royal Ballet as an Aud Jebsen Young Dancer from the Royal Ballet School at the start of the 2021/2022 season and entered the Company as an Artist in the 2022/23 season, Viola was promoted to First Artist in 2024 and Soloist in 2025.

Pantuso's repertory with The Royal Ballet includes Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Olga (Onegin), Perdita (The Winters Tale), Clara, Vivandière, Mirliton (The Nutcracker), Ren (MADDADDAM) and roles in Mayerling, Manon, Les Rendezvous, The Dream, Everyone Keeps Me and The Dante Project. She created roles in McGregor's Untitled, 2023 and Figures in a Landscape, Jessica Lang's Twinkle and Pam Tanowitz’s Secret Things and Or Forevermore. We have been delighted to support her career and to welcome Viola back to dance at Hatch House in July 2026.

What have you been working on recently?

The highlight of my season was performing the role of Princess Stephanie in Mayerling last month, which was a very special experience for me. At the moment, we are performing So Are We: León & Lightfoot at The Royal Ballet, featuring Shoot the Moon and Salle de danse. It’s been exciting to work on this piece and share the stage with a large amount of the company dancers for our final production of the season. 

Photo credit: Magda Hoffman

What made you want to return to join the Covent Garden Dance Company, for a second time?

I have such special memories from dancing with CGDC a few summers ago alongside Marco Masciari. It was nice to make friends with dancers from different companies and I still look back on that experience very fondly. The reception from audiences was incredible, the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, and there is something very special about performing in the beautiful countryside surroundings of Hatch House. The dancers are always looked after so well and returning felt like an easy decision.

Viola dancing Calvin Richardson’s The Lighthouse, with Marco Masciari at Hatch House in 2024
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather

It is our 20th anniversary and our final year at Hatch House. How would you describe the ethos of the company and the atmosphere of performing there? 

CGDC has always felt like a celebration of both artistry and community. There is a genuine sense of support and camaraderie that makes it a very memorable performance experience.
The setting at Hatch House creates an intimate connection between the dancers, the audience and nature itself. It encourages artists to share their work in a very honest and personal way. As this is the final year at Hatch House, I think audiences and dancers alike will treasure those memories even more.

What will you be performing with Joseph Sissens?

Joe and I will be performing excerpts from Infra and Rhapsody.

Since performing at Hatch House in 2024, your career has been meteoric. What do you hope to bring to this year’s performance with Joe?

Joe and I first danced together in The Winter’s Tale by Christopher Wheeldon, which was also the production where I made my first major debut with The Royal Ballet. Since then we’ve become very close friends, and although we’ve shared the stage in various productions, we haven’t had many opportunities to dance together in this way since.

To come together for an evening like this feels very special. I hope we can bring our friendship, trust and shared enjoyment of dancing to the audience. It’s one we’re really looking forward to.

What do you hope the audience feels when watching you dance these two pieces?

I hope the audience feels a sense of freshness, excitement and genuine connection. Joe is one of my closest friends, and I think that friendship naturally comes through when we dance together. We want people to enjoy the energy between us and feel drawn into the joy of sharing these works on stage.

Photo credit: Isabella Turolla

Since its first production Covent Garden Dance has sought to foster new works and artists alongside bringing some of the most celebrated artists together to delight audiences around the world. How important are companies and galas such as these?

I think they are incredibly important. Dance is such a universal art form, and dancers from all backgrounds, styles and cultures deserve to be celebrated. Events like Ballet Under the Stars give audiences the chance to experience a wide range of artists in one place, while also creating opportunities for dancers to learn from one another.

It is an honour to perform alongside both established and young emerging artists in the ballet world. Every dancer brings something unique and deeply personal to their work, and bringing them together creates an experience that is inspiring for both audiences and performers.

Who are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with?

Honestly everyone! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and sharing the stage with some of them before, so it will be wonderful to reunite. Equally I’m excited to meet new artists and experience their work. One of the best parts of galas like this is discovering and appreciating each other’s artistry.

The local Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance will also be performing a new work inspired by nature just as you did in 2024. The same children watched that world première of Calvin’s work. How important is it to provide performance opportunities such as these for the next generation?

Photo credit: Alice Pennefather

It’s incredibly important. A dancer’s development is shaped in many different ways, and performing on stage is one of the most valuable experiences they can have. It builds confidence, teaches resilience and allows young dancers to discover who they are as performers.

What makes this project even more special is that it is inspired by the natural surroundings of Hatch House. Performing in such a beautiful environment will give the students endless inspiration and create memories they will carry with them throughout their training and careers. I hope they leave with a genuine love for creativity and performing. 

What would your dream role to dance be?

Two of my ultimate dream roles are Mary Vetsera in Mayerling and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

However, one of my dreams is actually coming true next season, as I’ll have the enormous honour of dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker alongside Marcelino Sambé. It’s a role I’ve admired for as long as I can remember, so I feel incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity.

Photo credit: Carol Lancelloti

Tell us three things people don’t know about you.

Interestingly before ballet became my full-time focus, I was actually a World Champion Irish dancer, which always seems to surprise people!

I also moved to New York City at the age of 12 to pursue my ballet training. It was a huge step at such a young age, but it taught me independence, resilience and gave me experiences that have shaped both my career and who I am today.

Photo credit: Christopher Duggan.

And finally while ballet can be incredibly demanding and intense, I’ve always made it a priority to find joy and fun in what I do. No matter how hard I work or how much I push myself, I never want to lose sight of why I fell in love with dancing in the first place. Finding meaning, gratitude and enjoyment in every moment is something that’s very important to me.

20th Anniversary interview with Myriam Ould-Braham.

Myriam Ould-Braham
Photo Credit: James Bort

Following our interview with Myriam ahead of her appearance at Iconique 2026, we caught up with our Covent Garden Dance Company Étoile again to discover what she is looking forward to most about performing as part of our 20 year anniversary gala, her third Ballet Under the Stars appearance.

This July, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Covent Garden Dance Company - how would you describe what Matt has created?

What strikes me above all is the atmosphere; there is a real friendliness within the organisation, and we meet dancers I have had the chance to encounter at other galas. But this gala has something special, a truly unique atmosphere. That is exactly what Matt has managed to create: something rare, and for me, it is precious.

Hatch House 2023 - Photo credit: Alice Pennefather

What are you most looking forward to about returning to the stage at Hatch House with Mickaël?

It was a truly amazing experience. Dancing in the middle of nature is something unique, you could feel that the audience was happy, there was extraordinary energy and atmosphere. I am also looking forward to reconnecting with dancers I have met abroad, catching up on their news, and seeing how they have progressed. These are always very special moments of sharing.

You will be performing Act IV Pas De Deux from Nureyev's Swan Lake and Le Parc Kissing Pas, by Angelin Preljocaj. What do you hope the audience will feel when you dance these pieces together?

I would like the audience to feel above all a unique moment, like a bubble of happiness. A moment of sweetness, out of time, that touches them and marks their evening.

Photo credit: Eddy Raphael - The Bahamas

What have you been working on, since stepping back from your full time commitments at the Paris Opera Ballet, Myriam?

Following my official departure from the Paris Opera in May 2024, I had the opportunity to dance in some very beautiful theatres, such as La Scala in Milan, and to meet wonderful people: dancers, rehearsal pianists… These experiences made this transition more pleasant and smoother. They allowed me to take a step back and rethink time differently.

I then took a year to fully devote myself to my family, as well as to the things that are close to my heart and that my career had not always allowed me to explore, particularly teaching. This has always been essential to me, and this stage of my life confirmed how deeply attached I am to it.

After this precious break, I chose to return to dance. It is part of my life, and I feel the desire to continue having beautiful experiences, while continuing the teaching and sharing that are essential to me.

Children from a local dance school - the Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance - will perform on stage with you. How important is it to provide these opportunities to children?

It’s an excellent initiative, and I truly believe in it. Sharing the stage with younger people is essential; they are the new generation, and it is important for them to have real stage experiences, to meet artists, to have genuine exchanges. Seeing multiple generations come together on stage is always something powerful. I am sincerely happy that young dancers have the opportunity to perform alongside more experienced soloists; it is valuable for their journey.

Myriam Ould-Braham & Mickaël Lafon performing Swan Lake pas de deux at Hatch House 2023
Photo credit: Alice Pennefather

What three things do people not know about you?

I am extremely shy, I love tranquility, and the third will remain my little secret!

Interview with Zai Calliste

We were delighted to be the first to interview Zai Calliste after receiving his Emerging Artist award on Thursday 28 May. We discussed his meteoric year and discovered how joining our stage alongside English National Ballet Principal Dancers Gareth Haw and Emma Hawes for Ballet Under the Stars 2025, made his transition from vocational to professional dancer feel seamless.

Photo credit: Isabella Turolla

Zai Calliste is an Artist with the English National Ballet. Originally from Australia, Zai trained at Annette Roselli's Dance Academy in Brisbane before crossing the pond to join the prestigious English National Ballet School. He joined the Covent Garden Dance Company for Ballet Under the Stars at Hatch House in July 2026 - his first professional performance after being accepted into the English National Ballet company. We have been delighted to support his career and to welcome him back to dance at Hatch House in July 2026.

Huge congratulations on your Emerging Artist award! How are you feeling.

Honestly, I am still in shock! I am ecstatic, shocked and happy. Tonight, I really felt in the moment, without stressing too much, and that’s something I’ve really tried to work on. I am very grateful for everyone who helped me.”

Photo credit: Isabella Turolla

Since performing at Hatch House in July last year, tell us what you have been doing and what are you currently working on.

Three things all at once! Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and I have also been preparing for the ENB’s Emerging Dancer Award. It has always been a dream of mine and I am so honoured to have done it. As a result, I have been rehearsing Marius Petipa’s Le Talisman every day, working hard on building up the stamina as it is a full on pas de deux. It has been a massive learning curve, being coached by Carmen Picares and ENB principal, Gareth Haw who has also been coaching me.

Getting to know Gareth at Hatch House last year was amazing. We built a connection before company classes had even started, and it felt like I had a friend in the company as a new graduate, just at the right time, before I started the season.

I have also loved touring this year. At school you wait anxiously for that one performance, but since joining the company you get the change to dive deep into roles and bring something new to different audiences. That is important to me and why I chose ENB.

CGDC is turning 20 this year at Hatch House. How would you summarise the ethos of the company? 

The ethos is exciting, fresh and supportive. Matt and the company really foster the art form and carry it forward whilst also maintaining the traditions of the art. Creating galas in new venues and bringing it to new audiences is so important.

Zai dancing at Hatch House in 2025 - photo credit: Alice Pennefather

What was it like performing at Hatch House last year?

It came as such a welcome surprise after graduating from the English National Ballet School. When Lynne Charles, told me about the invitation, I was so excited to do it. Ballet Under the Stars was my first professional gig out of ballet school.

The garden scenery is such an interesting place to dance and share the art form with new audiences outside of a theatre. It is not every day you get to dance in such a beautiful outdoor setting. It was so lovely to bring our art to an open space.

For me performing at Hatch House bridged the gap between professional and student and that opportunity was so important. I was able to see how the professionals prepare, get advice and watch their craft, that all helped me to start my journey.

How are you feeling about dancing at Ballet Under the Stars in its 20th anniversary year?

I am so excited to be asked to be back again. Hatch House 2025 was the highlight of my year last year. So this year, I am excited to show something different and new and hopefully bring a more mature performance.

Photo credit: Isabella Turolla

You will be performing alongside some world-renowned artists, what are you most looking forward to?

Connections honestly; just the fact that we all the share the same industry, you never know when it may be useful or valuable. Plus you get the chance to build lifelong partnerships and friendships. You also get to see how artists prepare and how they manage stress and anxiety, this is not something you are prepared for at school, to just step out in front of hundreds of thousands of people to do a solo or lead role.

Who are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with?

Hard question. I would say Viola Pantuso. We have met a lot through coincidences, through friends and she is so up and coming and so close in age to me, doing amazing things. Getting to share the stage with her will be incredible.

What will you be dancing?

As part of the ENB’s Emerging Artist Award, I have been preparing and rehearsing and will therefore be performing Marius Petipa’s Le Talisman, so Taela and I will dance this. We are also hoping to perform a new neo classical piece, that Taela and I would like to put to Matt. Finally, I will be dancing a solo piece called Nature boy by company member, Rentaro Nakaakai, which he has choreographed on me for Emerging Dancer.

As soon as the performances at Hatch are over, I start my second season at ENB, so I will going straight to bed and heading into rehearsals the next morning!

Photo credit - Isabella Turolla

What do you hope the audience at Ballet Under the Stars will feel when they watch you dance?

Moved and inspired. Ballet can be seen as out of people’s grasp, but in reality, we all feel emotions, and through ballet, we are all able to connect through the emotions portrayed through the body.

I hope to bring connection to the art on a deeper level and not allow it to be about how many good pirouettes we do.

Is ballet a dying art?

The impact of Timothée Chalamet’s statement can be interpreted in a few different ways – Firstly, it was a very shallow comment, especially given he was raised in a family in the industry, and he should reflect on that. It is easy to immediately go to the negative of everything, but what he did unknowingly was that he brought people back to the theatre and to watch ballet. I try and look at things positively.

Obviously my first reaction was we put our heart and soul into this art form and spend years tying to perfect it, but also thank you! For putting us back in the spotlight and reinvigorating the art with younger and diverse audiences!

Ballet is a tradition, it gets passed down and perhaps his comment being heard by younger generations will actually bring it to a wider and younger range of demographics; each with their own approach and each different age group bringing their own influence.

What would your favourite role to dance be?

Hmm, it’s really hard as I am still so new to all of them. I think, Carmen is the one I am most looking forward to performing in. I saw it when I was at the English National Ballet school and it was amazing.

Photo credit: Isabella Turolla

Tell us three things people don’t know about you.

A) I used to play rugby league when I went to ballet school in Australia.

B) I like fashion. For me it is another form of creativity and self-expression.

C) I love horror films – Conjuring 2 is my favourite!

Interview with Taela Rose Graff

Taking a breather from a flurry of rehearsals at the English National Ballet, we caught up with Artist, Taela Rose Graff, about her whirlwind year, what she is most looking forward to about performing at Hatch House and what she really thinks of Timothée Chalamet’s views on whether ballet is a dying art.

All photo credits: Isabella Turolla

Taela Graff is a professional ballet dancer with English National Ballet and formerly danced with Houston Ballet. Originally from the United States, she trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet.

How important is it to prove Timothée Chalamet’s view that ballet is a dying art, wrong?

Timothée Chalamet targeted the wrong community! There are new generations who really appreciate this art form and draw people in – ballet is a constantly evolving thing.

We have so many companies doing such diverse performances, there is so much versatility and dance forms, so many new things, we are always creating new works. Ballet is definitely not a dying art form, by saying it is, you are limiting and not expanding your mind to what is possible.

What the Covent Garden Dance Company and Dicky Buckle Fund do is extremely important; to show the arts to a younger generation. I used to think ballet was boring, I had been a gymnast in training (7-13) but watching the New York City Ballet at 13, ignited a passion in me. That moment drove all of this to happen for me.

I was doing rhythmic gymnastics fulltime up to age 13 and I wanted to go to the Olympics. I was taught by a Russian coach. All Russian gymnasts train with a Vaganova ballet influence, and my coach said I needed to do ballet. My Mum gave me an ultimatum! I thought ballet was boring, but she said if I didn’t do it, I could not do gymnastics, so I went once or twice a week and started to fall in love a bit when I performed for the first time; I was cast in the Miami City ballet Nutcracker, and that was the first time in my life, that I conceded that ballet wasn’t too bad.

But it was when I saw my first performance at the Lincoln Centre – it was Balanchine’s Jewels - that the spark was lit. The New York City Ballet danced Rubies, Bolshoi Ballet did Diamonds and another company did Emeralds. It was my first exposure to the ballet with such a prestigious company. In that moment, that was when I decided I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I was 13.

It is incredibly important for everyone to have access to this kind of art and performance because it inspires. Art in any form can inspire portraits, literature, anything in everyday life. I find so many parallels to other people who share a passion for art. We are all interconnected by emotions, inspired by art for development and growth.

What are you currently working on?

At the moment it is a whirlwind of rehearsals at ENB. We are working on a new triple bill creation for the next season, called Rhythm Riot. This includes Romeo and Juliet, Auguries of Innocence by Jae Man Joo and Symphony in Three Movements by George Balanchine, which we are yet to start rehearsing. That is all for next season but we are also building up to ending this season with Sleeping Beauty.

Tell us a little about your recent journey to your first season at ENB.

Coming to London was a surprise for me, I wasn’t expecting to move to the UK when I did – and now I have been here for a full season. Previously, I was at Houston Ballet for two years, but felt it was time for a change. I auditioned last February and secured a contract and was so excited to get the opportunity. I moved to London at the end of July and the season started in August. Not anything I would have imagined for myself.

“It has been a transformational season for me in terms of mindset and as dancer.”

I kicked off the season with Lilac Fairy, in Sleeping Beauty and it felt crazy to have an opportunity like that, right off the bat, it has been very exciting. Then we went into Nutcracker and I danced the role of Ice Queen which was an amazing opportunity. It is a beautiful costume, with an incredible headdress which in itself is very challenging as a dancer. I really enjoyed the experience; it has been so nice to switch my mindset from corps to company roles. It was very height orientated in the corps in Houston, but my height is appreciated here and Aaron (ENB Artistic Director) sees potential for me. It has been challenging mindset wise, but such a cool opportunity to be front and centre and get over nerves. I have also made some incredible friends in Lois Fraiz and Zai Calliste (both performed in Hatch House 2025) and Jakob Wheway. Lois has just helped me find my first home in London!

How are you feeling about dancing at Ballet Under the Stars?

This gala comes in as part of the whirlwind of everything happening for me, so this is a big step change. This will be my first opportunity to do a gala of this prestige and I am so excited and nervous. I am bringing everything I have learned this year to the Hatch House stage, including managing my nerves. It is an incredible opportunity and is a cool way to kick off my next period of growth, to upgrade to the next stepping stone.

Who are you most looking forward to sharing the stage with?

I couldn’t choose; it is a whirlwind for me. I am not used to working alongside this big segment of the dance world. I fell into this world when I was 13 and so I am not as well versed in the dance world, it is so shiny to me, everything is so inspiring. It will be amazing to watch more seasoned performers prepare and carry themselves for a performance and learn to enhance my performance. I’m excited to meet all of them, I couldn’t choose!

You will be performing alongside some world-renowned artists, what are you most looking forward to?

I cannot wait to learn from these international artists. I am a visual learner, I am a people watcher and I am looking forward to observing behaviours and performances - which stems from dance, especially in a company space – with peers and ranks people that you look up to. I have benefitted the most from watching people doing those incredible roles and watching and learning from how they carry themselves in the studio and prepare mentally for the stage.

I am also looking forward to exploring another part of the UK to get new inspiration. As dancers, we are always chasing inspiration – it keeps us moving and it gets hard when you stay still. I am inspired to see these dancers, see a new space and tap into my own new potential, It will be a challenge and I will have Zai by my side, but I am excited for the opportunity to keep growing and be a sponge and soak it all up. These are the years where I take it all in.

What will you be dancing?

Zai and I met this season and we became close very quickly. He is doing Marius Petipa’s Le Talisman for the ENB Emerging Dancer award, so we will dance this and are also performing a contemporary piece, yet to be decided.

We hear that thanks to the Covent Garden Dance Company, you are connecting with your Bahamian heritage?

Courtney Celeste Fox and I are WhatsApping! I was born in Miami, but my Mum is Bahamian. This gala has brought my two worlds together. Courtney introduced me to an opportunity for Bahamian Independence Day and a fashion show in July when the Ambassador comes over. It is a full circle opportunity, I don’t have too much of a link to my Bahamian heritage because my Mum moved to the States over 20 years ago, but she didn’t know she would be staying in the US. Now I have the time as an adult to reconnect. I am desperate to link to my Bahamian heritage; my mum is one of 10 siblings and there are some people I haven’t even met yet, it would be so cool to link back to the Bahamas through this gala opportunity.

What do you hope the audience at Ballet Under the Stars will feel when they watch you dance?

So, you have technical performers, and they are amazing, but for me, as a late starter to ballet, I grasped the emotion and artistry. That is what I want to bring to my performance – that is always my main focus. I hope that the audience will feel the passion and joy that Zai and I both have for this art form. It can feel very heavy for people to put themselves on a stage, in front of the limelight.

If you really think it through, you need courage and love for this art form to do something so terrifying. We are both young dancers starting out in our careers and we hope they feel the hopes and dreams and hunger that we have for this art.

Plus I hope we can convey the lightness and juvenility of Le Talisman. It is light and flirty and very fitting to match our immaturity, joy and hunger for what’s possible. I hope we can bring this to the stage.  

What would your favourite role to dance be?

It is constantly changing, but I think Myrtha in Akram Khan’s Giselle. It is a very dark and emotional role, something you get to do as a seasoned dancer. Now I’m doing the light hearted roles, but I would like to dive into my darker artistry in the future.

Tell us three things people don’t know about you.

1) I’m a home body – I love just being at home on my days off.

2) I crochet. My mum and I used to have a legwarmers business, she is an  amazing seamstress and used to make all my costumes. Then we combined our talents and I would crochet and she would sew the legwarmers.

3) I was part of a TV show, En Pointe, on Disney Plus. My mum and I both appeared on that show and there is a scene where she is making me legwarmers before I went off to fulltime ballet school aged 14. I was so little and naive and it is quite nostalgic to look back at that time, I go back to that series when I am feeling low, and it reminds me how far I’ve come.