I recently had the opportunity to ask the amazing Caty Wong some questions about her amazing journey as a ballerina. She graces the stage so elegantly and with poise, her dedication and passion for ballet is unmatched, Below are her responses.

Q1: When did you start ballet?

I started when i was 4 years old

Q2: Where do you currently dance?

I study at Escuela Ballet de Monterrey, in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Q3: How long have you been en pointe for?

I’ve been dancing on pointe for 5 years.

Q4: What pointe shoes do you currently wear?

I currently wear Grishko 2007 pro, but when I started pointe I used to wear Bloch Aspiration.

Q5: How did you first get involved in ballet?

Since I have memory I have always been attracted by the magic of ballet, it has always been an interest of mine. I used to see all the advertisement of my local ballet company on the streets, and I fell in love with it, later I told my mom that I wanted to be a ballerina, I wanted to go to ballet classes and asked if we could go to the theatre to see the ballet. I think that at first my mom thought that it was a temporary interest and that it wasn’t going to last long… but I’m still dancing and I do not plan on stopping.

Q6: What is your favourite variation?

I love all the variations and each one has their magic, but I would say my favorite ones are grand pas classique and talisman.

Q7: What company would you love to work for?

Being a professional dancer and working for a company, specially being a principal, has always been my biggest dream. Companies like American Ballet Theatre, The Opera of Paris, the Royal Ballet, Houston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet Bolshoi Ballet, La Scala de Milan etc. Have always inspired me and I would absolutely love to work for that amazing companies.

Q8: Do you have a favourite memory/moment in ballet?

Personally I think every day is an opportunity to make a great memory, but specially when all your hard work and all your effort is recognized and when people say to you beautiful things about the way you dance and the passion you put into it, it’s really rewarding, I think my favorite memories in ballet are all the opportunities that I’ve had of getting to travel to other countries to attend summer intensives, dance festivals, competitions etc. Where I get to meet amazing personalities, teachers and dancers, learn a lot of new things, enrich my knowledge, perform in front of new people and specially getting to develop as a better artist.

Q9: Who are your ballet roles models? Dancers that inspire you.

Definitely Marianela Nuñez, Svetlana Zakharova, Viengsay Valdes, Polina Semionova, Olga Smirnova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Blanca Rios, Katia Carranza, Misty Copeland, Maria Kotchetkova, and Misa Kuranaga are some of many dancers that are absolutely inspiring, personally I don’t only admire a dancer just because of their physical conditions, but because of their artistry and how hard they have worked to get where they are now and to get the beautiful technique that they currently have. Even if you have all the possible physical conditions, you will never succeed if you’re not passionate about it and if you don’t work as hard as you can everyday, just as all of the dancers i mentioned do.

Q10: Best advice you’ve ever received from a teacher?

Well there’s a lot that my teachers have thought me, but I guess one of the most important lessons is that you have to believe in yourself, because if you don’t no one else is going to do it, you have to be confident in what you’re capable of, what you’ll be able to achieve and how far you have come. Self confidence is crucial, that itself empowers you to do brave things like, encourage yourself to go to a competition, get in the front row in a class/masterclass for everyone to see how good you are, among other things. Also you should never belittle your work, or compare yourself with other people, there is always going to be someone better than you and someone worse, that’s how things work, but you have to have confidence in your hard work and in your passion.

Q11: Classical or romantic tutu?

Classical 😉

Q12: What do you like to do when you aren’t dancing (your free time)?

I’m a little obsessed with ballet so I really like doing extra exercises to stretch, get stronger and improve my technique. But aside from dance-related stuff, I really like cooking