Finding Carmen

The days were very similar to The Australian Ballet rehearsal days (morning class, coffee break, rehearsal, lunch, rehearsal, finish!). However, unlike at The Australian Ballet, where we often rehearse multiple ballets at once, the English National Ballet were only working on Carmen, so it meant we were completely absorbed in everything Carmen.

I really loved working with Cal (Principal Artist Callum Linnane). We haven’t danced together a lot, so it was really fun to develop our dancing relationship and build up the trust for such an intimate ballet like Carmen. The whole group also took a weekend trip to Bath. It was so refreshing after a gorgeous (but grey) London. Bath is such a beautiful spot, and we felt like we were in a Jane Austen novel the whole weekend.

Conversation is at the forefront of Johan’s choreography. Every ‘dance’ is really a conversation between characters, and so the challenge has been to put my own tone, character and story into each bit of choreography.

Yes, in London we were lucky enough to meet Gregor Acuña-Pohl, the dramaturg who worked with Johan on Carmen. He spoke about how they didn’t want to follow the opera version of Carmen, but the original text written in 1845 by Prosper Mérimée. The text offers more of a three-dimensional view of Carmen as a character, including her strength and unrelenting desire for freedom in her life. Gregor made it clear that there is a different type of Carmen in each dancer, and to be true to who that is for each of us.

I love the emotional and physical intensity of it! However, I think it’s important for people to know that behind the intensity, we spend a lot of time finessing specific grips and building understanding between dancers to make it read well. When we perform it, we find the rawness again, but that can only happen after a lot of rehearsal.

Buy it! This is such a rare chance for audiences and the company alike. We have never danced anything like this before, and there is such a buzz in the studio that we can’t wait to share with audiences. And of course, the music is fantastic!