Q&A with Olivia Bell

We were thrilled to sit with Olivia Bell recently, as the newest appointed member of Ballet Without Borders! Olivia was a principal dancer of The Australian Ballet and currently lives with her husband and 4 children in Melbourne.

1. In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Storytelling. Belonging. Expression

2. What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

That is a bit like asking which is my favourite child…
I always loved performing technically challenging roles with a strong story line. Characters such as Manon, Baroness in Swan Lake, Flavia in Spartacus and Scheherazade are some that come to mind.

3. Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I had a lot of help along the way … I remember extended family buying my pointe shoes when my mum couldn’t, also ballet schools offering me scholarships to support tuition. I won many competitions which offered prize money. If it wasn’t for that support I may not have been able to continue in ballet.

4. What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?

There are so many…
I actually don’t believe that many “non ballet people” understand the sacrifices made by everyone in a ballet family… it takes over your spare time, your family time (holidays) your life. I also know that ballet dancers are sometimes seen as uptight, conservative restrained individuals who haven’t lived life to the fullest because of ballet - from my experience on the contrary is true - dancers are free spirited, open minded individuals who develop a strong sense of self from an early age and often gain life skills and independence at a much younger age than most .

5. What are you reading right now?

There are 3 books on my bedside table at the moment but I am mostly reading “Wifedom” by Anna Funder. It is about George Orwell and his relationship with his wife Eileen.
Another book I am reading is ‘The Secret Barrister ‘ stories of the Law and how it’s Broken’. I love real life crime and related stories. Dark stuff that keeps me thinking.
The third book is one I started reading 2 years ago… chipping away slowly. Maybe not worth the mention.

6. 1 thing that most people don't know about you?

Well I actually think that anyone who knows me well knows this about me - I am a passionate knitter… my mum and grandparents all knitted and I learnt from a very young age. Receiving a hand knitted garment is very special- I love making bespoke knits for special people in my life.

7. Why is the work BWB do so important?

BWB brings together 2 things I love - ballet and opportunity. Both are sacred to me and if I can be involved in an organisation which offers this to others then I feel an immediate connection. Sharing the love of a platform of expression which has given me immense joy and fulfilment is invaluable.

8. Favourite ballet to watch?

Another tough one to answer because ballet to me is so much more than the visual and the steps.  Music makes up so much of a performance, so does connecting with your character and audience. Because of that I have to love the music as much as the choreography, therefore most Tchaikovsky ballets are my favourites.

9. If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

The advice I would give myself is to give more thank you’s and gratitude along the way. So many people helped me achieve my dream and I would go back in time and thank them all individually.

10. You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

teach it to dance!!!

Q&A with Drew Hedditch

We are so pleased to interview Drew Hedditch, current artist with the Australian Ballet and one of our newest appointed Board Members.

In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Passion, expression, refinement

What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

I find it really hard to name just one, and I’m sure that most dancers would say the same thing! I’ve
danced many ballets that I would consider a favourite but the roles within them are what I would
consider a dream, or have perhaps discovered are a dream from having had the opportunity to
dance them. Lescaut in the ballet ‘Manon’ would be a dream role that id definitely like to perform
one day, and Mercutio in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a dream role that I’ve already had the chance to perform.

Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I believe that ballet still has a long way to go in terms of being accessible. I know that ticket prices to attend a show are relatively expensive and also limited in the locations of performances. I think the Australian Ballet National Tour is a great initiative that has been happening for many years now however it can only happen to a limited amount of locations each year. Australia is very fortunate in the amount of ballet schools that are around however fees for classes are still of quite a high price.

The work that BWB is doing in this area is incredibly admirable and inspiring, hopefully as this charity grows more children will be able to share the passion and joy that ballet has to offer.

What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?

Competitiveness. I think that there is an idea that ballet is incredibly competitive and that you need to “win” or be the best in order to be successful. I really don’t find that the case, it’s an art form full of individual expression that encourages hard work, dedication and most of all teamwork. The way that a corps de ballet will move as one, as a flock of swans on stage for example is breath taking. It doesn’t just happen, its the result of a group of dancers working together, hyper aware, sensitive to each other and an incredible support network. Yes, there will always be an aspect of competition among ballet dancers but I find it more healthy than not, an encouragement of sorts to be the best that we can be.

What are you reading right now?

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J.Maas. Part of the A court of Thorns and Roses series.

One thing that most people don't know about you?

I’m a huge AFL fan, you’ll often find me at the MCG on a weekend.

Why is the work BWB do so important?

BWB is able to give the gift that many children or even parents might not realise they needed. The joy that ballet or dance in general can bring to a child, or a parent who’re able to see their child dance is unparalleled. To be able to provide dance classes in underprivileged areas where a child may have never experienced dance, could well be the first spark of inspiration for the future of arts in this country. In my opinion the program that BWB offers could also be a huge step forward for more indigenous children to be inspired to peruse ballet, perhaps to even become a dancer or be involved in the arts. BWB is also providing scholarships that help young dancers and their family’s pay for their dance classes. I was very fortunate to have a very supportive family and attend a dance school that supported me but I know that my family still struggled at times to pay my tuition. To think that now there is a charity that is helping children and their family’s make sure that a child can continue to dance is truly heartwarming, something that means a lot to me and I’m sure resonates with many others too.

Favourite ballet to watch?

Le Lac des Cygnes. Rudolf Nureyev’ Swan Lake

If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

Search for the best artist that you can be, don’t be afraid to try new things and more importantly don’t be afraid to fail. It will only lead to growth and that vulnerability will shape you into a better, stronger version of yourself.

You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

Do be my best to train it and become friends with it, what a great pet!

Q & A with Vito Bernasconi

We had the pleasure of interviewing Vito, current soloist with The Queensland Ballet.

1. In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Passion, Courage, Creativity

2. What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. While I’ve performed Tybalt, Mercutio, Lord Capulet and Lead Mandolin, I’ve never performed Romeo and hopefully one day I can experience the role.

3. Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form to watch and perform in metropolitan areas, and the more outreach we can undertake as a community, the more possibility there is to affect many more future dancers and performers in wider reaching areas of this country and the world. 

4.  What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?  

I have a few:

Ballet is not just for girls, it is for anyone and everyone. Ballet does not define your sexuality. MYTH: Ballet is easy. FACT: Anyone who does ballet requires a high level of physical, mental, psychological and emotional fortitude. It is an art form for the strong, focussed and determined. 

5. What are you reading right now?

I have just finished ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us’ by Scott Carney, and am excited to have begun reading ‘Mr. Einstein’s Secretary’ by Matthew Reilly. He’s one of my favourite authors. 

6. 1 thing that most people don't know about you?

I hate sand out of context. Unless I’m having a beach day and able to rinse it off, it really annoys me. 

7.  Why is the work BWB does so important? 

Everyone needs art in their lives and I believe that everyone deserves to express themselves creatively and passionately in any way they wish. With the mission of bringing ballet to as many people as possible, BWB is ensuring that more people have the possibility to have ballet enriching and enhancing their lives. 

8. Favourite ballet to watch?

I have always admired After The Rain by Christopher Wheeldon. The music, Spiegel I’m Spiegel by Arvo Pärt, and choreography have an incredible symbiotic connection and it has been a dream of mine to one day perform the main Pas De Deux.

9. If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would go back to any time that I’ve had a big decision to make and remind myself, ‘Trust your instincts and follow your heart’. 

10. You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

I would call it Dumbo, Trunks or Stampy and wonder how I was going to get it up to, and fit in, my apartment! I would also be obligated to come into any awkward conversation to comprehensively and effectively express, ‘the elephant in the room’.

Ballet and Innovation

Recently I have been fortunate enough to participate in the Ci2016 innovation conference. It was extremely interesting, full of motivational speakers who spoke about innovation from the perspective of enabling humans to live better lives. 

A presence that was missing came from the arts sector. Most of the representatives were large government and private organisations. 

As dancers do we not create every time that we are in the studio, on stage. Our job, surely is to move people. The heart sends up to 15 times more messages that are up to 5000 stronger to the brain then the brain does to the heart. 

There was also interesting discussions around the education system and how this stifles creativity and puts children in a box-to sit exams and write papers. How do we change this perception that creativity is a dead end for a successful and fulfilling career when technology is paving the way precisely for those who are creative and innovative. 

How do we utilise innovation to help dancers? How can we use the technology available to monitor health, to connect those who do not have the pathways to access dance education and performance and foster continuous growth and development of this beautiful art form?