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

Q1: When did you start ballet?

I started ballet when I was 4 years old. I trained for a year, however I did not really enjoy the class and decided to quit. But then, when I was 9, my mother convinced me to try it again. I have been doing ballet ever since

Q2: Where do you currently dance?

I currently dance at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, Germany. It is a fantastic school and I am so grateful to be able to train there every day

Q3: How long have you been en pointe for?

I have been en pointe for roughly 5 years, as I got my first pair of pointe shoes when I was almost 12.

Q4: What pointe shoes do you currently wear?

I currently wear pointe shoes from Freed of London. This brand has been my favourite so far and I love how secure and comfortable these shoes make me feel while dancing

Q5: How did you first get involved in ballet?

My mother has experience in the ballet and contemporary fields and hence was the main reason for why I started ballet

Q6: What is your favourite variation?

I would have to say either Aurora act 1 (from Sleeping Beauty) or some of the variations from Paquita

Q7: What company would you love to work for?

I would love to work for any company, but some of my favourites are the Royal Ballet, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theatre

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

I think most of my favourite memories and moments in Ballet are the ones on stage. I love the feeling of performing on stage, and it is what makes me love this art form so much

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

My favourite ballet dancers are Marianela Nunez, Evgenia Obraztsova, Svetlana Zakharova and Elisa Badenes. I adore watching them perform and they truly inspire me by the way that they can effortlessly perform movements as well as tell a story on stage

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

To not get to focused on the technical aspect but instead to learn how to really dance with your emotions and upper body

Q11: Advise you’d give a young version of yourself?

I strongly advise to not let negative thoughts stop you from achieving your goals. It is so important to live each day with a positive mindset, otherwise you may regret having spent so much time worrying about issues that aren’t even that serious. Life is too short to spend every day worrying about the next challenge

Q12: Best thing about being a ballerina?

The best thing about being a ballerina is that you get to study beautiful music, train your memory skills and keep fit at the same time

Q13: Hardest thing about being a ballerina?

Negative self-esteem and body-images are probably the two hardest things about ballet. However, by changing your mindset and appreciating yourself for who you are, one can easily overcome these challenges

Q14: It seems like such hard work, did you ever have days growing up where you were like “ugh maybe I’ll just pick an easier career so I can be like a normal teenager”?

I have these days all the time. I have days where I feel as though, everything I do is wrong and pointless. However, these days are actually the most important ones, as they remind me of how much I love and want to pursue this career

Q15: Classical or romantic tutu?

Classical

Q16: Have you ever suffered a serious injury?

I have been very fortunate, and have never had a serious injury. I have however had some injuries here and there that have prevented me from giving my best in classes and performances. Although they seem like the end of the world at the time, they are sometimes positive things as they teach dancers what not to do the next time and make them more appreciative of their career

Q17: What do you like to do when you aren’t dancing (your free time)?

In my free time I love to draw, cook and spend time with friends or family.