Monday 10 August 2009

Adela Ramirez interviwed for Cupcakes & Conversation...



Cupcakes & conversation with Adela Ramirez, First Soloist, English National Ballet


What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
I am a morning person, so I wake up around 6:45am every morning and it is not hard for me because I just do what I love the most.

Who would you most like to dance with ?
One of my idols has been Baryshnikov, so I wouldn't mind doing a contemporary pas de deux with him.

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
It's a very long task !!! It is a very annoying time of the day! First I cut half of the sole, second I sew the elastics and ribbons & third I stick a piece of tape in the sole. Afterwards I sew the front of the pointe shoes to have more balance, and to finish I put some glue inside the pointe shoe.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
I wake up early, I have a few coffees with cereal and cookies. After a shower I then commute for 35 minutes on the tube and another 5 or 10 on the bus, depending on the traffic. I normally arrive 45 minutes before class so in this time I do some Pilates to warm up, then class for an hour and fifteen minutes, and two hours of rehearsal. After that we have an hour’s break and carry on until 6:30pm which is when the day finishes at work; but then we have a nice healthy dinner at home.


You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Roger Federer, James Morrison, Kiefer Sutherland, Javier Varden, Pedro Almodóvar & Manolo Garcia.

What would surprise people about you ?
People think I'm very open and loud, but the truth is, I'm very shy.

Who inspired you to dance ?
Makarova and Baryshnikov were the ones who inspired me.

How would someone else describe you ?
Some friends say I am extrovert.


What is your best piece of advice ?
Be perseverant in your dreams.

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
That will be Odette (the White Swan, from Swan Lake) without doubt. You have to be thinking of arms, legs, feet, all the way. You have to be soft as a feather.

What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you ?
When I forgot my very bright blue leg warmers on top of the grave of Juliet in a performance (of Romeo & Juliet).

If you designed your own stage costume, what would you create ?
Probably I would design something simple and sexy – a leotard for a contemporary piece.


What are you most proud of ?
I'm proud of where I am thanks to my hard work, also of my family - they are beautiful people.

Who would play you in the film of your life ?
Juliette Lewis. I like her freshness.

What is your favourite quote ?
Speech is silver, silence is gold.

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
Not that I know of. All my friends know me very well.

6 comments:

  1. Elise, thank you so much for your sweet compliments to my humble blog! Your blog is beautiful, and it is so fascinating to read your interviews with dancers and learn about their lives. It really takes me back to my early childhood dream (every girl's dream when young) of being a ballerina. My aunt was a ballet dancer when she was young, and I remember wistfully and longingly staring at her tattered toe shoes as a very wee girl.

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  2. Hello Elise! Thank you for commenting at my blog space. I have enjoyed reading you r interview and looking around your posts. Very nice indeed! The pictures are wonderful!

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  3. Hi Elise,

    Thank you for viewing my blog. It is always a pleasure to meet fellow bloggers who like to share heir appreciaton of various arts. I like the photos you have posted up on your site, it makes one truly marvel at the sheer grace of the ballerina's body.

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  4. To watch Adela dancing is like a dream... Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. adela! so beautiful!! ilove you very much!!!
    tu juanjito !!! un beso muy grande.

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  6. adela is a beautiful dancer!!!

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