I recently had the opportunity to ask Emily Luria some questions about her amazing journey as a ballerina. Emily is a phenomenal dancer, she graces the stage with grace and poise. Her dedication and passion for ballet is incredible. Below are her responses.

Q1: When did you start ballet?

I started ballet when I was three, stopped when I was five, and then went back to it when I was about eight.

Q2: Where do you currently dance?

I currently dance at Le Jeune Dance Academy but will be at BalletMet next year as a trainee.

Q3: How long have you been en pointe for?

I’ve been on pointe for 6 years.

Q4: What pointe shoes do you currently wear?

I currently wear Suffolk Stellar pointe shoes.

Q5: How did you first get involved in ballet?

I first got involved in ballet when my mom caught me dancing along to Barbie Nutcracker at three years old and decided to put me into ballet classes.

Q6: What is your favourite variation?

My favorite variation is either the Gamzatti Act 2 variation from La Bayadere or the Grand Pas Classique variation.

Q7: What company would you love to work for?

I would love to work for either BalletMet or Kansas City Ballet someday

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

My favorite memory in ballet is dancing as Snow White in my last production with Le Jeune Dance since it was an emotional performance and it’s my favorite role I’ve ever gotten to do.

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

My ballet role models are Natalia Osipova, who’s in the Royal Ballet of London, and Melissa Gelfin, who’s in the Cincinnati Ballet.

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

The best advice I’ve ever received from a teacher was to not stress about making every performance absolutely perfect. She told me that no performance is ever perfect, and if you let small mistakes get to you, it can throw you off for the rest of the show. Reminding myself of this helps me to be more relaxed on stage.

Q11: Classical or romantic tutu?

I love classical tutus!

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

When I’m not dancing I like to either hang out with my friends or watch The Office and Riverdale on Netflix.