013: Lucy Balfour, Ballerina at Rambert on performance, competition and motherhood

Lucy Balfour is a leading dancer at the world renowned contemporary dance company Ballet Rambert. Lucy trained at the International Ballet Academy in Christchurch, then spent ten years with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, before joining Rambert. In this episode, Lucy talks about the competitiveness of becoming a ballerina, the singular focus on realising her dream, with no back up plan. She talks about the pressure of selection and performing, maintaining self-identity throughout balanced by the privilege of being a dancer. Lucy is pregnant and gives an insight how Rambert have been supporting her to continue to rehearse and perform (Lucy performed on stage with Rambert up to 5 months pregnant) and now looks ahead with the question of whether she'll return to dance once she becomes a mum.   Show notes Lucy's journey into dance Decision ballet school or high school? First ballet contract with The Royal New Zealand ballet company Focus, rejection, perseverance and belief: developing resilience No plan B Dealing with rejection Advice for the 16 year old Lucy Balfour The day in a life for a dancer at the Rambert Dance Company Coping with the ups and downs of the selection/audition process Stay alert use rejection as a learning opportunity, learning from your peers without the pressure! Staying aware of your behaviour Getting in the right place for a new performance: preparing physically and mentally, writing down corrections in a training diary and not being afraid to ask lots of questions Late specialisation Pregnancy and performance Life after the birth Dancing whilst pregnant Facing the prospect of being a dancer and a mum Viewing ballet through a different set of eyes which will help in the future, learning more about the craft of ballet The length of a ballet career - it's not about age, it's about desire and physicality Dancer's Career Development - thinking ahead Wanting to inspire others, an ambassador for dance mamas and helping others to realise their potential at an earlier age Top tips for a career in the performing arts   Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/ A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/ If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/ or drop us a note at [email protected] then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.