I recently had the chance to ask Sarah Trinder some questions about her journey as a ballerina. Sarah is an amazing dancer, she takes to the stage with poise and grace. Her passion and dedication for ballet is incredible. Below are her responses.

Q1: When did you start ballet?

I started ballet when I was 3 years old. Although I always wanted to pursue it as a career, I began taking it more seriously when I was around 9 years old. At age 10, I attended my first summer school at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge.

Q2: Where do you currently dance?

At the moment I train locally at a small school called Susan Robinson School of Ballet but next year I am moving to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to attend the Dutch National Ballet Academy. It will be my first year in full time ballet training so I am very excited.

Q3: How long have you been en pointe for?

I have been en pointe for almost 6 years now. My first pair of pointe shoes were from Freed of London and I got them a few days after my 11th birthday.

Q4: What pointe shoes do you currently wear?

At the moment I wear Freeds Studio Professional shoes. I have recently started using these shoes and I really like them because there are slightly harder so I have more support and they last longer.

Q5: How did you first get involved in ballet?

When I was 3 years old, my mum signed me up for a baby ballet class near to where we live. Then, after 2 years, I moved to my current dance school where there was more emphasis on technique and performance so I could dance more often and had more opportunities.

Q6: What is your favourite variation?

My favourite variation that I have performed is the Swanhilda Act 1 variation which I performed at YAGP but two other variations which I would love to dance are the Paquita 4th variation and Pharaoh’s Daughter Act 2 variation. I also think it would be really fun to learn a Balanchine variation like one from Who Cares or Rubies in Jewels.

Q7: What company would you love to work for?

My dream companies include the Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet but I would love to dance with any of the big classical companies in Europe.

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

My favourite experience and memory in ballet would have to be the YAGP semi-finals in Barcelona. It was an honour to perform in front of school and company directors from around the world and receiving 3rd place and short term scholarships from the Royal Ballet School, John Cranko Schule and Ballettschule Theater Basel was a dream come true.

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

My biggest role models are Marianela Nunez, Natalia Osipova and Svetlana Zakharova and I’m really lucky to have seen all three of them perform live. Some of my other favourite dancers include Yuhui Choe, Yasmine Naghdi and Beatriz Stix-Brunell from the Royal Ballet and I also love Maria Kochetkova.

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

My teacher once told me that there is always someone better than you or someone who works harder than you and this inspires me to work my hardest and push myself in class and on stage.

Q11: Classical or romantic tutu?

I would have to say classical tutu as this is the type which is worn by Aurora, Odette, Odile and the Sugarplum Fairy amongst many other major classical roles. I am very fortunate to own several of my own classical tutus, including one which was made in Japan!

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

In my free time, I like to read, cook, go shopping, and spend time with my friends and family. At the moment, I’ve been loving the TV show Grey’s Anatomy and I also enjoy watching films. My favourite directors are Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino.